Musings

By Matthew Vanderford, Claimology Today was one of those days that just needed to happen. It was one of those days filled with duties and responsibility. But instead of hopping out of bed early, I decided I needed 15 more minutes, which turned into 30. After finally coaxing myself out of...

By Myrna Conrad We think of the Christmas season as a time of giving. We spend hours looking for the perfect gifts for our loved ones and friends. We worry and fret as we try to find what everyone wants and find the money and time to buy it. Giving...

By Rick Moore Buying presents for others is easier when you know what they like to collect. When someone asks me what they can buy for my mom, I let them know she collects teapots, which makes selecting a gift for her simple. My dad used to collect rare and...

By Sean Dietrich My wife is putting up the Christmas tree and we haven’t even rounded the corner toward Thanksgiving yet. But then, this holiday season can’t arrive quickly enough for us. My wife is ready to get this show on the road. After a long year of sheltering in place,...

By Gueary Clendenning Queen Elizabeth received a 105-carat diamond from Raja Singh of India, which is in her crown. It is considered one of the most expensive jewels in the world at a cost of almost 13 million dollars. Created in Italy and housed in Dubai, a pair of ladies shoes...

By Myrna Conrad Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. During this time, we receive cards and hear songs about “peace on earth good will toward man.” In fact, when the angels heralded the birth of Jesus they said, “And this will be a sign for you: You will find...

By Rick Moore A wake… no, not “awake”… a wake (according to Wikipedia) is the region of disturbed flow (often turbulent) downstream of a solid body moving through a fluid, caused by the flow of the fluid around the body. Or you could just say it is the waves caused...

By Sean Dietrich Stand-still traffic. I had the windows open and I was breathing in the exhaust from seven thousand cars all trying to get home. There was fruitcake sitting in my passenger seat, glazed in bourbon sauce. A Mark Twain book beside it. The cake had arrived on my porch...

By Dave Holland Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So, they all ate... Luke 9:16-17 Potatoes are worth about a dollar in my hands, but they...

Out of the Depths – Amazing Grace Michael Schneider, Pastor Emeritus, Trinity Presbyterian Church of Valparaiso As Hurricane Sally was swirling through the Emerald Coast, the Weather Channel began showing waves washing over Beach Boulevard in Pascagoula, Miss., in front of the place where my childhood home once stood. In that...