One spring day many years ago, a farmer decided to build a fine log barn. First, he gathered large stones. He chipped and fitted them together for a firm foundation. The farmer cut many trees, chopped off limbs, and smoothed the trunks. Notch and groove, groove and notch, the logs rose straight and true atop […]
Nov 11, 2024
Armistice Day!
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It was a different kind of world in 1918. Woodrow Wilson was our 28th President. Postage stamps were two cents, a loaf of bread cost a dime and a gallon of gasoline was eight cents. An epidemic of Spanish flu ravaged the country, causing more than 500,000 deaths. Some of the popular songs were Over […]
Aug 25, 2024
Following Footprints
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We all leave footprints as we journey through life. Some, thankfully, are lasting; some, thankfully, are not. Our footprints show the directions we’ve taken and the choices we’ve made, whether good or bad. My brothers and I often remark, “Dad said …” or “Mom told me…” My parents are gone now but their words and the […]
Jul 6, 2024
The Comfort of Quilts
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The Ozarks Mountaineer was a wonderful magazine that, sadly, ceased publishing a few years ago. My piece about my grandmother’s quilts found a home in that magazine in December 1998. This was a story as my mother told it to me. Today’s post is excerpted from that story. Quilting is an ancient craft which still […]
Jul 3, 2024
A Strong Foundation
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If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? —Psalm 11:3 Before a builder builds a house, he pours a foundation. If the foundation is not solid, the house has problems. Sometimes, a foundation is firm to begin with, but, through the years, things happen. Water can seep in, causing cracks. A too dry climate […]
Jun 16, 2024
A Man To Count On
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I talked to my older brother last night and wished him a Happy Father’s Day. He thanked me and said, “Well, it’s not as important as Mother’s Day.” I disagreed and told him I thought it was very important. Moms and Dads each have a God-given responsibility and privilege in the life of a healthy […]
