The Miracles of Migration
Fall is nearly upon us with its cooler temperatures, beautiful leaves, and pumpkin spice. Another normal aspect of autumn is bird migration and I am preparing to kiss our hummingbirds goodbye as they will shortly depart for warmer climates. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds that grace our local feeders will soon be…
Responding to Tragedies
Last week Afghanistan was rocked by three different earthquakes which toppled buildings, created chaos, and resulted in nearly 1,400 deaths while wounding many others. A little over a month before that, a quake that tied for the sixth strongest on record struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Although tsunami fears prompted evacuations,…
The Hijacking of Culture
Next Thursday marks the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attack of 9/11. Every American knows exactly where he or she was when they first heard of this evil murder of nearly 3,000 of our countrymen. We watched in horror as the Pentagon burned and as the Twin Towers collapsed while…
Labor Day And Babel’s Builders
Monday is the working man’s day! Labor Day was instituted to recognize the value and dignity of hard workers who have built this country and who continue to build it today. Instead of looking down on those who sweat to build our homes, fix our cars, and grow our food,…
Don’t Be A Jonah
One of the first Bible stories children learn is the one about Jonah and the whale or the big fish. The Hebrew language then was not as specific as is English now and the original term basically communicated that a large aquatic animal of some sort swallowed Jonah whole, stored…
Mountains of Evidence For a Creator
Indulge me for a few minutes with a thought experiment. Imagine it is 2525 and all that used to be the USA is long gone. Our founders and great leaders are remembered only in history books and blogs as even their statues and monuments have been buried in the rubble…
It’s That Time Of Year!
God is awesome! But then again most of you already knew that. Nevertheless, we often take Him and His lovingkindness for granted. This week’s column is a reminder of His goodness and that He’s still in the miracle business! As many readers remember, Weekday Religious Education in Shenandoah County lay…
Lumpy Larry And the Iron Furnace
Summertime is a season of vacations and the Shenandoah Valley is often a destination for folks from outside our area. They come for the incredible natural beauty, the multi-layered history, and the many events. And if they’ve glanced at a county map, they should also notice the echoes of an…
The Valley of the Shadow of Death
Imagine my alarm as my 12-year-old son exclaimed, “Hey Dad, what kind of snake is this?” Those are words that will immediately command every father’s full attention, especially when his 9-year-old daughter is close behind that son. About twenty years ago, the three of us were hiking to Abrams Falls…
Bearing Fruit for Jesus
We have been abundantly blessed with wonderful rain this summer! Many years our valley fields are dry and our corn stalks tightly rolled by mid-July. What a blessing to see green everywhere we look! One of those green crops that has become more common in the Shenandoah Valley are grapevines.…