The first lady needed a friend, someone who would be trustworthy and caring, with her best interests at heart. Mary Todd Lincoln found that friend in her dressmaker, Elizabeth Keckley. Madame Elizabeth, as she was known, was a gifted seamstress; her mother having taught her as a young girl. She ...

Musikalisch means musical in German, and my German grandfather truly was musically gifted. He never took a music lesson but played piano, drums, banjo, and ukulele very well. In 1930, when swing music played by the big bands was all the rage, he started his own 10-piece band in our ...

As Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads from one place to another throughout the world, the OMF missionary Aril Varosky shares with me the strategy of having peace of God during the unknown situation.  Each morning, cover you and your loved one with the blood of Jesus Chris by proclaiming His promise through ...

Do you remember the birthday parties of your childhood, old black and white photos of little friends wearing party hats, blowing paper horns, and eating cake and ice cream?  In those days, parties were often a dress up affair, little girls in brightly colored dresses with white anklet socks and ...

When my grandchildren ask me what I did when I was young, I find my answers to be simplistic. In an age of electronic games, multiple sports teams, and personal phones that often isolate us from real human contact, telling my little people about roller skating with old metal skates, ...

                                                  “not even God himself could sink this ship” (employee of the White Star Line, 1911 launch of Titanic) They named her Titanic and it suited ...

Many of the lessons we carry through life can be traced back to our elementary school days. Respect for authority was certainly one of those. Rules were not questioned, and consequences were expected when we stepped out of line. I can still see the straight line painted on the floor ...

We all have purpose, but having purpose and fulfilling it can be two very different things. Knowing who we are, understanding the direction to take, and seeking the right guidance on our way down the path we have chosen are all important, but it’s also helpful to realize that identity ...

Nature was a big part of our childhood. We loved to be outside, so it was a thrill when we moved out of the city to a new subdivision springing up from land that had grown crops and fed horses and cows for over a century. A small creek ran ...

Punishment in early American life was often public and quite humiliating to the offender. The Puritans of New England believed what God said, taking their laws directly from the bible. Drunkenness, fornication, and even smoking brought down the gavel as fast as stealing from a neighbor.  Scarlet letters were worn ...