Category Archives: History

Children, Encouragement, History, In the news, Issues of the Day, Just for fun, Parents

It’s Christmas!

Christmas is that wonderful time of year when we celebrate the birth of Christ with our families and the world. This season is celebrated around the world in different forms and fashions, but the holiday is dedicated to remembering and rejoicing in the birth of our Savior and Redeemer, Christ.

Here are some fun facts about Christmas gathered for your family enjoyment:

  • The tallest Christmas tree ever displayed was in Seattle, Washington. It measured 221 feet tall.  
  • The top six Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington and Wisconsin.
  • Buying all the gifts from the “12 Days of Christmas” song would cost you a ton of money. The most expensive being “Swans a Swimming.”
  • When the candy cane was created in Germany, it was made into a “J” for Jesus. The red                 stripes symbolize His blood and the white His purity. 
  • It is a tradition in Japan to eat KFC for Christmas. Orders must be placed two months in advance.
  • 1 in 3 men wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping.
  • Christmas trees usually grow for close to 15 years before they can be sold. 
  • Bing Crosby’s version of “White Christmas” is the highest-selling single of all time.
  • Christmas lights were so expensive that they used to be rented rather than sold. An electrically lit tree was a status symbol in the early 1900’s.
  • The first Salvation Army collection kettle took place in San Francisco’s Oakland Ferry at the foot of Market St. It was a large crab pot with a sign that read “Keep the Pot Boiling.”  
  • In 2012 there were more than 15,000 holiday decorating injuries during November and December. The most common being falls, 34% of all injuries.  
  • The word “Merry” in Merry Christmas was not always accepted because being merry used to signify slight intemperance.  
  • The Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Midland, MI hosts 130 Santas each year where they gather and learn about the history of St. Nick, popular toys and Santa etiquette.  
  • In 1980, the highest selling Christmas toy was a Rubik’s cube for $1.99. It now retails for $10.
  • The abbreviation X in X-Mas is not an abbreviation. It stands for “Chi,” meaning Christ in Greek.  
  • The reason we give presents during Christmas is to symbolize the gifts given to Jesus by the three wise men.

There you have a few facts about Christmas, some rather strange. I pray that your Christmas season is full of fun, family, love, and of course CHRIST!

For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[a] Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    will make this happen! (Isaiah 9:6, 7 NLT)

Standard
Challenge, Encouragement, History, Issues of the Day

Thankfulness is Contagious

In the USA, today is the day after the national day of giving thanks – Thanksgiving. It was the day that President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 set aside for this nation to celebrate its thankfulness to God. It was to be celebrated annually on the last Thursday of the month of November. Today it continues to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November to foster a sense of unity and gratitude during a very difficult time of history. 

Thanksgiving is a celebration that had its start in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 after a harsh winter and lots of loss. This first Thanksgiving was inspired by the Biblical holiday of Sukkot, or The Feast of Tabernacles. Around 90 Wampanoag Indian warriors joined 53 surviving Pilgrims.

Thankfulness is an attitude of the heart. The Bible reminds us to give thanks in everything (I Thessalonians 5:18). The actual Greek meaning of this phrase is to have a thankful heart. But why?

Because thankfulness begets thankfulness; it’s contagious. Someone rightly stated if we lose our thankfulness to God our focus will become on what we feel God is not doing for us. Wow, that’s unsettling. 

Giving thanks lightens our heart. It helps us to keep our focus on what God IS doing in our lives. And if we’re serious about giving thanks every day and not just Thanksgiving, we’ll become a contagion of thankfulness. 

Further, thankfulness reduces stress, increases happiness, improves our mood by increasing dopamine and serotonin in our brains, it builds resilience, and even enhances our relationships. 

Let’s be encouraged to practice a spirit of thankfulness each and every day of our lives!

Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Standard
Challenge, Encouragement, History, In the news, Issues of the Day, Politics

Never Lose Hope!

In the book, Against All Hope, there is a story about Armando Valladares who was imprisoned for thirteen years of “hard labor” because he refused to place a pro-communism sign on his desk at his workplace. He disappeared to a prison called the Isle of Pines off the cost of Cuba. 

For Valladares it meant almost 5,000 days of hunger, beatings, harsh labor, solitary confinement, solitude, struggling to prove he was human, and of testing his faith in Christ. Every day he watched prisoners (pastors and priests) taken before a firing squad and shot to death. But just before their death they shouted, “Viva Cristo Rey!” – “Long Live Christ the King!” All the prisoners remaining alive in the cells would shout in return, “Viva Cristo Ray!”

After years of suffering so inhumanly, Armando was released, and he found his way to the United States where he would begin a new life sharing his story and serving his Lord.

As humans we can do without a lot of things, but we can never lose hope. Someone once said that God’s people, no matter the circumstances, may be helpless [at times], but never hopeless.

*This blog is dedicated to the tireless efforts of Charlie Kirk and his love for his Savior. Thank you, Charlie, for believing that this nation and the youth of this nation are not hopeless.

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalms 147:11

Standard
Challenge, Encouragement, Healing, History, Issues of the Day

God’s Tinkering

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…  Romans 8:29

Henry Ford, as the story is told, hired an electrical wizard to repair one of his huge electrical motors.  Charlie Steinmetz came, found the problem, repaired it and sent Mr. Ford a bill for $10,000.00.  Henry Ford could not imagine such a large expense for “a little bit of tinkering.”  Surely Charlie placed too many zeros on his invoice.  Mr. Steinmetz’s response to Henry was simple: $10.00 for “tinkering” and $9,990.00 for “knowing where to tinker.”

In order for God to conform us to His image it takes a bit of tinkering.  I imagine it to be something like Holy Spirit crawling down into the sewers of our soul to remove that which does not honor Him in order to rebuild and conform us to that which does honor Him.  While all of us desire change to happen instantly, so much of being conformed takes a life time.  

We all have a past, but when we came to Jesus, the cross made the difference between us and our histories.  Jesus became a curse for us so that we could become redeemed from the curse (Gal. 3:13).  The cross separated us from, “…the empty way of life handed down to [us]” (I Pet. 1:18).  And, we were made alive, our sins forgiven…taken away and nailed to the cross (Col. 2:13-14).  Jesus is the great Counselor and we celebrate Easter this weekend becasue His tomb is empty and He is alive!

Ask the Holy Spirit, the One whom Jesus sent, to continue to conform your life today – He knows exactly where to tinker.

Standard
Challenge, Encouragement, History, Issues of the Day, Marriage, Men, Training, Women

Is Marriage Christian?

Marriage is not Christian, per se; it is a creation act of God.  Marriage was His idea from the beginning, as the cultures and religions of the world marry.  But the evil one has provided numerous counterfeits for marriage, e.g., cohabitation, numerous ongoing sexual partners, dating with an ongoing emphasis of breaking up and hurting others.  Keep in mind, there can only be a counterfeit if there is a real. You and I were created for a very real relationship with God and others and yet it seems to be relationships that we struggle with the most.  

Ninety three percent of Americans rate having a happy marriage as one of the most important objectives in life.  In 1992, the number one aspiration of high schoolers was having a good marriage and family life.  College students today are desperate to have only one marriage.  Over 70% of adult Americans believe that marriage is a lifelong commitment that should not be ended unless under extreme circumstances.  Get this: 85% of divorced and separated persons still believe that marriage is for life.  

Then why is cohabitation so prevalent today?  There is no legal or social pressure today against cohabitation.  The latest census figures show four million couples (men and women and not same-sex couples) are living together.  That is 8 times as many couples as in 1970.  The slide started with less moral prohibition against premarital sex in our culture, which opened the door to living together unmarried.  The more culture practices the abnormal, the more normal it becomes, e.g., abortion, divorce, cohabitation, etc. Cohabitation is popular with the loss of the negative stigma, the lack of commitment, the lack of well-defined responsibilities and authority and it provides the idea of an easy exit when it does not work out.

But the human heart craves security, commitment and a marriage enforced by love and the law, as well as social custom.  We want and need love and a vow spoken to commitment is the strongest contract we have…called a covenant in the scriptures.  Covenant is stronger than contract.  Contracts are written to be broken.  Covenant, if broken under Old Testament law, was certain death.  Marriage is not the end of freedom; it is the beginning of freedom to join our hearts and sprits together to fulfill God’s mission together in becoming one.  It is not about loss of freedom in any form, but about gaining a partner to support and be supported, to trust and be trusted, to provoke to growth and to give life to family.

Marriage changes life, behavior, social standing, expectations, relationships, and even tax forms.  It is making decisions jointly and growing as a long-term team.  Marriage is like long-term care insurance.  It promises to remain strong in sickness and in health.  It is a partnership to protect, to share equally, to serve, to provide for the needs of one another without selfish demand.  

(Thanks to the book, A Case for Marriage, by Linda Waite; Maggie Gallagher for the above statistics.)

Standard
Children, History, Issues of the Day, Just for fun, Parents

Cotton Candy, A Medical Marvel

Did you know that cotton candy was invented by a dentist from Tennessee in 1897? William James Morrison graduated from dental school and not long after became president of the Tennessee State Dental Association. While he had a number of inventions under his belt, the one that seemed a bit incongruent with his profession was cotton candy.

Morrison created an “electric candy machine” that would melt sugar and then use forced air through a mesh screen into a spinning chamber. What came out was a cloudlike substance back then known as Fairy Floss; today it’s known as cotton candy. 

While this is interesting history, it’s not what this blog is about. Scientists utilize cotton candy for a completely different use. Ironically, cotton candy might serve to save lives. How so?

Cotton candy’s delicate structure is used to create artificial human blood vessels. Researchers at Vanderbilt University spin the candy fibers, pour a gelatin mixture over the stands and after hardening they dissolve the sugar with an enzyme solution. 

What remains is a complex mold that’s very similar to the human capillary system. If successful, cotton candy can be a break-through creation to help make artificial tissue.

Psalm 139 declares that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” The care and complete attention to detail of our Creator is nothing short of amazing. Did you know that you have around 60,000 miles of blood vessels running throughout your body? That’s more than twice the distance around the earth.

The next time your child asks you for a cotton candy treat at the local fair, consider saying yes. Then take some time to explain the good side of this simple treat. By the way, it takes only one tablespoon of sugar to make that cloud-like swirl.

Standard
Challenge, History, Identity, Issues of the Day, Men

King of the Mountain

Did you ever play king of the mountain when you were a kid? It was especially fun on a mountain of snow. The idea is that someone, the king, is placed on top of the mound of dirt or snow and then all the other kids attempt to take him down and become king themselves. 

Not too long ago, there was a U.S. boxer that was king of the mountain for years. No one could defeat him. Eventually the ex-champ suffered far too many blows to his head. Before he passed he simply shuffled everywhere he walked while shaking profusely. Gone were the raised fist pumps, sculpted body and braggadocios attitude. 

During an interview with a reporter, he was quoted as saying, “I had the world, and it wasn’t nothin’. Look now.” This fighter did have the world along with the world’s attention. 

His name? Muhammad Ali. Ali won the world heavyweight championship three times. He appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine more times than any other athlete. 

Many years ago, I visited his training camp property that was for sale at the time. It was run down. Painted on the many rocks around the property were Ali’s famous sayings like, “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” He would often refer to himself as “The greatest.” Walking the property, I could just picture Muhammad in training sweats running around reading the words on those rocks and easily believing them.

When we push, claw and crawl our way to the top, everyone is eventually toppled; it’s an uncertain victory. Someone will ultimately make their way to the top where we are and be successful at throwing us back down the mountain. So be careful about displaying all those trophies and hanging all those ribbons. There’s so much to learn from Ali and many others stories like his who were once on top of the mountain. 

There was a King who left heaven, not to be king of the mountain, but rather to be a servant who suffered upon a cross on a hill named Golgotha. “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

Standard
Challenge, Children, Encouragement, History, Issues of the Day

The Purpose of Christmas 

Christmas is not random and neither is it simply another work holiday. Billy Graham said, “The very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was that He might offer up His life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This is the heart of Christmas.”

We will gather around a tree and open presents to hopefully create smiles and the joy of laughter. Unfortunately, not everyone has that privilege. I think of the homeless, the marginalized, and those suffering from insufficient resources. 

But I also think that Mary and Joseph would identify with those who struggle at Christmas. They were not wealthy and their first Christmas was a tough one. How so?

Caesar Augustus ordered everyone to register for a census of the “entire Roman world” from their hometown. Mary and Joseph, who were “pledged to be married,” lived in Nazareth and had to travel to Bethlehem. Mary was nine months pregnant and the trip to their hometown was a very distant and grueling 90 miles! Can we even relate to a ninety-mile trip, being almost ready to deliver a baby, on a donkey or a horse through rough and dusty terrain? 

When they reached Bethlehem, there were so many people that all the inns were booked to capacity. Where would Mary be giving birth? Someone offered them a stable, a barn or the lower part of a home. Yikes, a filthy, germ infested, smelly and unsanitary animal stable!

Jesus is born and some shepherds, considered the lowest class of workers, notice a star, a very bright star. They show up to see the miracle Christ child after the angel said to them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

The Gift arrived. The final sacrificial Lamb of God. No more bloody altars of sin offerings. Jesus would be God’s sin offering for all of mankind into the ages to come. 

Have you opened this Gift? 

Standard
Challenge, Encouragement, History, Training

How Radioactive Are You?

Maria Salomea Sklodowska was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1867. She and her husband, Pierre Curie, discovered polonium in 1898 and they named it to honor their home country of Poland. However, what she is most known for is her discovery of radium.

Ninety years later Marie Curie’s notebooks are still radioactive! Not knowing its danger, she carried radioactive elements in her pockets and she enjoyed the fact that these particles looked like “fairy lights” around her home. The consequence of her actions was that her clothes, her furniture and even her books will be radioactive for the next 1,500 years.

Curie died in 1934 of aplastic anemia due to her prolonged exposure to radiation. Curie gave her life in pursuit of the science she loved.

As I read this bit of history, I was struck by several probing questions:

  • What do I carry around with me thinking those things are harmless but are slowly hurting me and perhaps others? 
  • How “radioactive” am I? 
  • What am I giving my life to?

I have discovered that God wants to take our past wounds and turn them into victories. As we process those hurts with Him and receive His healing, He brings wisdom from wounds for future situations. 

Second, I want to be a positive, life-giving influence to others. That’s the radioactivity that I seek, that I long to carry. Who and what am I influencing for His glory?

And third, if radioactivity can be around for 1,500 years, how long can my influence be around? How long can what I have spoken, counseled, written or encouraged others in be active and continuing to influence lives even though I have left this earth?

And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also…who will teach others…who will teach others. (II Timothy 2:2)

Standard
Challenge, Encouragement, History, Men, Parents, Women

Growing Creative Ideas and Inventions

I have never seen myself as an artist or very creative. That is, until people began commenting that some of my hobbies are very artistic and creative. It actually surprised me, in a good way of course. 

The lightbulb has become a symbol of creativity or ideas. Creativity with invention symbolizes ingenuity. 

A friend of mine quilts scenes from a picture.The headboard is my design.

Thomas Edison was a record-setting creative inventor who has 1,093 different inventions. On one single day in 1888 he recorded 112 different ideas. He patented something every eleven days. When he died, it is said that 15 billion dollars of the national economy was a result of his innovations alone. He employed thousands of people who became known as his “muckers.” 

We use many of the items, or variations thereof, that Edison invented to this day. Items like: the phonograph, the kinetoscope (an early motion picture device), the dictating machine, the alkaline battery, the electric meter, a sap extractor, a talking doll, rock crushers, electric pens, and a tornado proof house. 

The Creator of our world gives us the ability to create. His gifts are given to us to use for the benefit of others, for income to feed our family, for teaching and instructing others (multiplying our gifts), but ultimately for His glory and His purposes.

A baseball bat headboard created by my son-in-law for my grandson.

Exodus 35:35 reveals, “He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers–all of them skilled workers and designers.” 

We each have a level of creativity and design because we each have a Designer. We are created in the image of the Designer. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Funny thing though, Edison did not invent the lightbulb. Incandescent lights began in 1761. Edison prided himself in making things better–perfecting them. His first patent did not come until 1869, an electronic vote recorder. But Edison did create a lightbulb that would burn for hours, prolonging daylight on the street and in the factories.

What are those gifts He has deposited within you that others confirm in your life? Make your world a better place by using those gifts for His honor and His glory.

Standard