What an incredible weekend of celebrating Independence Day it has been! Our weather was dark, hot, and rainy, but that did not dampen our spirits. My oldest daughter came to celebrate the July 4th holiday with us. We had several in-depth conversations—the kind you have when it’s one-on-one time with a loved one. Family Revelations […]
Exploring Your Family History in America
How did your ancestors get to America? What if you don’t know much about your family history? Start a conversation with the person most likely to know your family. Learn why your grandparents came here, or the family history that goes back decades, or why you came to America, and share your story. We can […]
Memorial Day: Celebrating Heroes Who Served
Memorial Day is a day to celebrate the lives of our American heroes who have died in service to defend the freedoms we enjoy today. Below, I’ve gathered the names of a few heroes to help inspire us as we remember why we pause to celebrate. Note their deeds of valiant courage as they served […]
Teaching the Declaration Still Matters Today
As the school year winds down, I am preparing a Jr. High civics lesson on the reasons to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Why the Declaration Still Matters Today, many in our country don’t seem to understand the brilliance of the Declaration of Independence. Instead of embracing that our rights come from God, they place their […]
Presidents’ Day Reflections
As we celebrate Presidents’ Day, I think about some of our defining moments in history and leadership. What comes to mind is the American War for Independence, the Civil War, World War II, and today. Whatever defining moments we have in our American history, presidential leadership matters in each of them. I am reflecting on […]
Remembering MLK: Sit‑Ins, Fire Hoses, and Courage
My earliest recollections of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are of him leading non-violent, constitutional protests in the 1960s. I was a news consumer from a young age, and Dr. King was on my black-and-white television screen every night, leading throngs of respectfully dressed, well-behaved protesters seeking equal rights in our nation. Remembering Sit‑Ins and […]
Looking Forward to a New Year
I loved Year In Review segments as a kid, and continued the tradition into adulthood. This year, however, I took a pass. Division and discord seem to summarize 2025. I don’t care to re-live it. I’m ready to move forward, with lessons from the past and a renewed focus on what matters to a common-sense […]
Christmas Overnight, 1776
Christmas overnight, December 25-26, 1776. Rain turned to sleet, turned to ice, turned into a biting storm from the northeast. Who would brave a night like that with a poorly clad, hungry, tired army and the need to cross the ice-choked Delaware River? George Washington would. The Night that Changed the War The army was […]
P.L.A.N. for Peaceful Holiday Gatherings
As we prepare for upcoming celebrations with family and friends, I offer you my common-sense P.L.A.N. for a peaceful event. These get-togethers often involve citizenship issues that spark disagreements. Prior planning prevents poor performance. Take a look: (No) Politics-How to avoid holiday fights P. (No) Politics. If someone begins discussing a highly controversial topic, find […]
A Nation’s Gratitude: Historical Proclamations
Why Pause and Reflect? There’s something special and rejuvenating about taking a moment to pause and reflect on our national tradition of Thanksgiving. As we prepare to celebrate the holidays and our 250th American birthday, I found a few past selections from presidential proclamations and Thanksgiving prayers worth a read with a cup of coffee […]
Honoring America’s Brave Veterans
Tuesday, November 11, is Veterans Day. Finding a conversation about real American heroes can sometimes be difficult. Instead, headlines often feature controversy or political debate. Why not commemorate and celebrate our eternally vigilant men and women who are America’s courageous living heroes? After all, Veterans know better than most what it takes to preserve true […]
Labor Day Reflections On Work
Besides looking forward to a fun final summer weekend, Labor Day affords us one more opportunity to reflect and reassess before busy fall schedules “kick in.” I was reading about the history of work in the United States and was so impressed with our humble beginnings. What made the USA into an industrial powerhouse? Hard […]
Celebrate and Cherish Independence
We are celebrating the Declaration of Independence, where our Founders declared that we have unalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (including your property rights).” We learn of the self-evident truth that all men are created equal and that “all” means “ALL.” Yet, we find a significant number of […]
Embracing the Spirit of Flag Day
(This post had over 3,500 “likes” this week on Facebook, so I’m repeating here and in my weekly update. I hope you find it encouraging. 🇺🇸) “As long as we stand united under the American flag, there is no challenge we cannot overcome. It is a symbol of our resilience and strength.” – Unknown Flags for […]
Opportunity Plus Preparedness
Here’s a thought to ponder as we head into a long Memorial Day weekend…. The person “born on third base” may have an easier time getting to “home plate” than the one born in “the dugout.” Both can make it to “home plate.” Both still have to be alert for opportunities to get to their […]
