Story of 1914 Christmas truce still circulates

This story has been told many times.  In fact, there are several different versions of it. One of them probably is true.  It happened in 1914, about five months into World War I. It was “a beautiful moonlit night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere,” Pvt.

How to make a better year happen

This has been a difficult year for most folks.  The only good news to some is that the year is nearly over. In a few days we move on to 2021. We tend to segment time and history into decades. The Fabulous Fifties and the Roaring Twenties come to mind.

Peace on Earth, good will toward men

Christmas time is here. If any holiday has the potential to bring people together, it is Christmas.  That is because Christmas brings us a particular message.  Christ was born to bring peace on earth and goodwill toward men. Yet, we live in a broken world.

Get enough sleep to fight illnesses

A goodnight sleep is so precious that no amount of money can ever replace it. In fact, one study linked insufficient sleep to an increased risk of obesity by 89 percent in children and 55 percent in adults.

Shall we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the EPA?

December is the 50th anniversary of the National Environmental Protection Act, which created the Environmental Protection Agency.  Did we need a new federal agency and has it done a good job? The answer is an unequivocable yes! During the 1960s, we began to realize that Earth was in trouble.

Perils may come with scolding people

It was late winter, 1974.  Three young women – Ann Porter, my wife Shirley and someone whose name we can’t recall –were sitting inside a beauty salon in downtown Boston, Mass. The salon had closed, but there they were, three more customers waiting anxiously to get free haircuts.

Cherokee trails provided early access

Scattered throughout the woods of Graham County are a number of old trails and roads.  Many of them are probably unknown to most people, with the exception of hunters.  One of the favorite things that Hoot Gibbs and I like to do is to locate these old trails and roads.

The word was made flesh

Athanasius’ fourth century work, On the Incarnation, is still recommended and read today as a primer to understand why God became human to redeem humanity.  He wrote it as a defense against those who denied Jesus was fully God and fully human.

Control your blood pressure, before it’s too late

There are some individuals who are really easily stressed out whenever they hear bad news. Consequently, they are so overwhelmed with a situation that this causes their respective blood pressures to shoot up aggressively.

With liberty and justice … for some?

The world is consumed with the idea of justice. I count myself among the many in that regard, because I too expect justice.  The common premise that most societies accept is Lex Talionis, otherwise known as an eye for an eye.