At the Intersection of Theology, Nature, and the Arts
Years ago, when my husband Gene and I made our first trek across the country in an RV, we were amused and captivated by the antics of the very social, black-tailed prairie dogs whose communities we encountered while hiking near Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. It broke my heart to hear that these little creatures have now …
Each June, the North Carolina Blueberry Festival is held in the tiny town of Burgaw and, each year, the event’s organizers estimate the community’s population jumps from 4,000 to upwards of 30,000. Now I’m no expert at judging crowd sizes but, given the packed in shoulder-to-shoulder nature of yesterday’s fair, I wouldn’t be surprised to …
James 1:26; 3:1-12 In the early 1970s, comedian George Carlin made headlines across the world with his “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” He began the routine by saying, "There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven of them you can't say on television. What a ratio that is: …
"The swan, like the soul of the poet, by the dull world is ill understood." -- Heinrich Heine *** “There’s a double beauty whenever a swan swims on a lake with her double thereon." -- Thomas Hood “The stately-sailing swan, Gives out his snowy plumage to the gale; And arching proud his neck, with oary feet …
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As we are visiting family in North Carolina and had friends visiting from up north, we decided to take a day to tour the battleship that carries our host state's name. It took us more than three hours to cover the 729 ft. long, 108 ft. beam, six deck vessel that was built at the …
On October 2, 1950, three kids – Charlie Brown, Patty and Shermy – appeared on the funny pages of seven newspapers. Over the next 50 years plus – via television specials, a Saturday morning cartoon, books, live theater productions, recordings, amusement parks and 17,897 comic strips – these three, along with Snoopy, Woodstock and others …
John 14:15-21; Acts 1:1-11 Right after World War II, a U.S. Army officer and his wife were stationed in that country. Japan had been devastated by the war. The economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached 60%. People came to the army wife’s door daily looking for work. One man said he could do wonders for her …
After ministering to those shaken by the bombings along the route of the Boston Marathon, specially trained therapy dogs have been deployed to help those struggling to recover from the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. The dogs and their handlers are members of the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog team that is headquartered …
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We spent Sunday afternoon picking strawberries at a delightful family-owned farm on the coast of North Carolina. As we were paying for our basket of delectables, we learned from the owner that it cost $50,000 to plant his five acres and that this season's crop is the worst he's seen in 15 years. The reason …
Beloved gospel singer George Beverly Shea, 104, of Montreat, N.C., soloist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, died Tuesday evening following a brief illness. News of his passing has taken me back in memory 22 years. In 1991, the Graham Association created a profile of my life and ministry for airing during one of the …
Continue reading "George Beverly Shea: A Life Lived “On Pitch”"
DFG Hailson 