Bible at Home

Fanny Crosby, the author of the famous hymn “Blessed Assurance”, along with more than 8,000 other hymns, was blind almost from birth. She wrote about her blindness and said that, given the chance to have her sight restored by a simple and even convenient operation, She would choose not to have it: “Because when I…

Jesus “marveled” only twice in the New Testament; once in Nazareth when neighbors he knew and loved did not recognize God in him. (Mark 6:6), and once in Capernaum when a Roman centurion did. (Matthew 8:10) “The centurion replied , ‘ Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just…

“Onyx” is the name of a black tea cup poodle puppy who lives next door to us. When he arrived, he was small enough to sit on the palm of my hand. I asked his owner, Susan, if he would get much bigger, and she answered, “They told me that he will grow a little…

Trust It was late fall, and getting cooler almost every day. I was helping my violin teacher give violin lessons to a class of fifth graders when one ten year old girl was wearing gloves as she opened her case, removed her violin, looked at me and said, “I’ll be wearing gloves while I play…

Three year old Rosie, my granddaughter, was taking swimming lessons at a community pool, and refusing to get into the water. Her instructor, a young man who was also a life guard, called her “Little One” as he tried to convince her to at least try to get used to the water. When I heard…

The very first trip home from college usually occurs in November at Thanksgiving, and that was true for me. At that time all your high school friends eagerly gather at one of the local “hang-outs”, often a pizza place, and everyone talks at once about his or her school. Each one waits for a chance…

In the course of teaching high school English, I sometimes met substitute teachers who lived interesting lives outside the classroom. Meryl, a substitute in a history class, was an aspiring writer who was substituting until she could make a living at her craft. Meryl often spoke to me about having “writer’s block.” She said that…

A friend originally from Northern Ireland, had some family members visiting from there, and Jack and I invited them to a picnic in our back yard. I made “Shake and Bake” chicken and a marinated salad, rolls, and cake for dessert with ice cream. They were lovely people, and I enjoyed their accents as we…

The world famous soprano Beverly Sills once told this story about herself. One day she received a phone call from a close friend, relating that the friend’s father had died; and Beverly had promised years earlier to sing at his funeral. “I’m sorry, she answered her friend, I am booked a year in advance. I…

Just before we crossed Fifth Avenue in New York City, Jack was approached by a well dressed man who asked him where he had bought his hat. Jack was wearing a felt fedora (not a Stetson) which seemed quite ordinary to me and we were both surprised that in New York someone would ask about…