I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands:* one nation under God, indivisible, with justice and liberty for all. *Punctuation revised for clarity. Virtually every child in America has recited the Pledge of Allegiance over the past century. It was first written and used by a Baptist minister in celebration of the first national Columbus Day in 1892. After undergoing a few slight revisions over time, the final versio

Warm weather months bring family gatherings and ballgames and cookouts and patriotic celebrations. Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day…spring and summer fairly explode with red, white, and blue. Amid all the fun, flags, fanfare, and fireworks, it is easy to forget why we celebrate these special days. The hot dogs and parades serve a purpose beyond mere pleasure and amusement. They remind us of who we are by reminding us of the people and events that have made us who we a

Waiting is often a challenge. It involves delay, deferment...patience. We wait for things that are not, usually wishing that they already were. Sometimes waiting is voluntary, but more often it is a bothersome reality forced upon us. Nonetheless, there is something special about the waiting we experience during the Christmas season. We revel in “the countdown to Christmas”, watching the anticipation in the eyes of children as they wait not-all-that-patiently for the big day a

The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old. (Proverbs 20:29 NIV) My father-in-law, Gary, recently turned...