Matthias Claudius (1740–1815) I thank thee, God, and like a child Rejoice as for a Christmas gift, That I am living—just alive— Just for this human face I wear, That I can see the sun, the sea, The hills and grass and leafy trees, And walk beneath the host of stars And watch the lovely moon above. T hanksgiving is the holiday intended for me. I tend to build up momentum, rushing from here to there and back again. Busy with work. Busy with personal chores. Busy, busy, busy. All that ... Read Full Story

W hen I was a child, my family had a yearly tradition that involved touring the Luray Caverns, driving Skyline Drive, and then stopping on the way home at an apple orchard to pick a few bushels of apples. I loved those times. The caverns were impressive, the apples were delicious and fun to pick, and the incredible display of color in the leaves along Skyline Drive was intense and awe-inspiring. Little did I know back in those days that we would one day live in Front Royal, just about two... Read Full Story

O ur new hometown is a delightful place with many wonderful surprises for those who take the time to look. But one feature of our town is not a surprise to most people who travel through Front Royal, Virginia. Skyline Drive is an unbelievably beautiful 105-mile-long drive along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The drive sees many visitors during the fall foliage peak, but the drive is absolutely beautiful 365 days per year. So yesterday we decided to drive along this road that begins acr... Read Full Story

I t is no novelty, then, that I am preaching; no new doctrine. I love to proclaim these strong old doctrines, that are called by nickname “Calvinism,” but which are surely and verily the revealed truth of God as it is in Christ Jesus. By this truth I make a pilgrimage into [the] past, and as I go, I see father after father, confessor after confessor, martyr after martyr, standing up to shake hands with me.... Taking these things to be the standard of my faith, I see the land of... Read Full Story

R eading in my bible today, I was reminded of how important it is for us to regularly plead with God about our leaders. I was especially moved to pray for our president. Psalm 109:8 Okay. I’m just joking. But we really should be praying for our leaders.   Read Full Story

T he winds of change can really have an impact when you’re not grounded. I believe my lack of deep roots has caused me to be blown and battered about over this past year. Rather than looking at my own contributions to the faulty foundation I concentrated on the winds caused by those around me. This is not good. So as I began today with my personal devotional time, I pulled out a book I have not read in quite some time, The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas à Kempis. I turned to Book ... Read Full Story

I haven’t commented on my header photos lately, but thought I ought to at least identify today’s subject. This photo is of Stratford Hall, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee and of his great-grandfather, “Lighthorse” Henry Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Stratford Hall is in Virginia’s Northern Neck, so it is not easily accessible by roads, although it was a thriving port 200 years ago due to its easy accessibility from the water. This house was fea... Read Full Story

W hen Mary and I were going to college together (about a quarter-century ago) I was a trumpet player. In fact, I was a music major and my proficiency was the trumpet. And Maynard Ferguson was my favorite trumpet player. Unfortunately, a health issue caused me to lose my ability to play the trumpet—not that I was ever able to do what Maynard can do, or even come close. The loss of control of my lip muscles brought some fear with regard to Mary’s recent surgery and we’re... Read Full Story

I n A Tale of Two Shootings, columnist Scott Wheeler made some interesting observations: Obama’s response to the shooting death of abortion doctor, George Tiller: I am shocked and outraged! Obama’s response to the Fort Hood shooting of 12 American soldiers by a self-proclaimed Muslim jihadist: I would caution against jumping to conclusions. Wheeler also pointed out another apparent inconsistency in the Obama admistration’s response to domestic terrorism: Janet Napolitano&... Read Full Story

D on Carson is one of my favorite authors. I had the honor of teaching a class using one of his books as the textbook and foundation for the curriculum. He’s a deep thinker and a solid biblical theologian. Some of our recent conversations here have brought up the question of why, if he does exist, would God allow evil to happen in the world. This is a difficult question and one that comes up regularly in a world filled with so much evil and suffering. Don Carson attempts to answer this... Read Full Story