We are now deep into vacation season and many valley residents are heading to the beach for some fun in the sun. It’s a great place to relax and recharge! Many go to the Outer Banks and the ocean floor just offshore there is known as the graveyard of the…
Next summer these United States will celebrate our 250th birthday which is quite an accomplishment for what Abraham Lincoln called this, “… new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” As the first of such ventures, the USA has since inspired many…
Earlier this month, former FBI Director, James Comey, posted a photo on social media of seashells arranged in the numbers 8647 with the words, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” This ignited quite the controversy resulting in an interview with the Secret Service. The exact meaning and intent are…
The key lock mechanism is an amazing invention and has been incorporated into everything from automobiles to nuclear facilities. Imagine a world where keys would not be needed because everyone was honest. How much simpler life would be and how much lighter our pockets would be as well. Most every…
Although Cherry Blossom season ended about a month ago in our nation’s capital, and although Apple Blossom in Winchester is past, many other trees of various species continue to bloom displaying their annual splendor for all to see. Locust trees have most recently shared their glory and dogwoods are also…
One of the best parts of my job is to share Bible Stories with the Antioch Little Duckling Preschoolers each week. This usually involves the lesson, a memory verse, a song, and a prayer. It’s such a blessing to see the joy and enthusiasm on their faces as they learn…
Spring is certainly one of my favorite times of the year for a variety of reasons. Not only are the flowers and trees blooming, the songbirds singing, and the spring peepers peeping, but the turkeys are gobbling as well! I’ve enjoyed some special times in the woods the last couple…
A few months back I was visiting with Bob Gochenour about some of our shared ancestors. As we talked about what life must have been like for them, he told me a story from when he surveyed a plot of land for the US Forest Service in West Virginia. The…
Most readers have probably heard of the killer bees that arrived in the US in 1990. This Africanized honey bee is a cross between the East African Lowland honey bee and different European honey bee subspecies. In 1957, 26 swarms of the African bees escaped quarantine and began moving northward…
Next week is often referred to as Holy Week because of all that took place within it. According to the Gospel writers, many events transpired within a very short span of time including Jesus’s weeping over Jerusalem, His Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, His clearing of the Temple, His teachings…