News & Events

Do you ever get down or catch a case of the moody blues?  One of the things that has helped me when I feel that way is reading Psalms of thanksgiving. Martin Luther claimed Psalm 118 as his chosen Psalm. Verse 1 reads, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: his...

When God calls Moses to confront the Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of bondage and into the Promised Land, he is anything but excited. In fact, his first excuse is: “Who am I” that I should be the one to take on this monumental task. God responds, “I will be with...

There is a corner in my front garden that fills me with so much joy and anticipation each Spring.  The melting snow and spring rains provide just the right amount of moisture for a Fernleaf Peony to be the star of the garden.  The blooms are plentiful and beautiful. ...

This Sunday, we will be celebrating All Saints Sunday. Martin Luther was fond of saying that Christians are simultaneously saints and sinners, which means they are both righteous and sinful at the same time. I think I experienced a glimpse of both feelings once when I...

More than twenty years ago, our family brought home our very first dog—a little golden-retriever-looking puppy we named Maddie. Maddie loved to chase tennis balls. The only problem? When she had one in her mouth, she always wanted the other one lying on the floor....

When Russian comedian, Yakov Smirnoff first moved to America, he was amazed at the variety of instant products he could buy in the store.  There’s powdered milk: just add water and you have milk.  There’s powdered orange juice: just add water and you have orange...

Many years ago, there was a television show called To Tell the Truth.Three contestants each claimed to be a remarkable person who had done something extraordinary. Only one was genuine; the other two were imposters. A panel of celebrities asked questions and tried to...

Once when Albert Einstein was riding a train the conductor stopped to punch his ticket. The great scientist began rummaging through his pockets, checking his briefcase and looking all around him somewhat bewildered. He could not find his ticket.  “That’s okay,” the...

Suppose you go into a store as a kid, and you break an expensive vase. What do you do now?  Wouldn’t someone need to pay for it? Have you ever messed up in a big way and had someone else cover for you? If a child breaks a vase in a store, someone will need to pay the...

Have you ever been at a game where an official made a blatantly unjust call? If you were on the losing end of the call, chances are you and those on your team were not happy campers. Years ago, Peter Falk played in the TV show Columbo. Even though he had a glass eye...