Grandma's Gleanings
Words and Thoughts from Grandma
What a wonderful visit we enjoyed with our young grandchildren recently! As is the tradition with most grandparents, we prepared well in advance of the visit, stretching the grocery budget to include ice cream, cookies, and kid-friendly munchies, most of which were sadly lacking in nutritional value, but all ranked high on the hyper-out sugar …
It would be an experiment in independence, a nation comprised of free people-citizens who could speak, write, assemble, and worship without fear of a tyrant’s intervention. Prior to the American Revolution, the crown of England imprisoned, mutilated, exiled, and even killed men and women who voiced opposition, who belonged to minority political parties, or …
It is defined as a list of things a person wants to achieve or experience before reaching a certain age or dying, but where did the phrase bucket list originate? Many would trace it back to the Middle Ages, when execution by hanging was common and the executioner would kick the bucket to consummate the …
Life was difficult for the children of the small nation of Israel as they struggled and suffered under the heavy hand of Roman rule. Due to this intense oppression from the Roman Empire, frequent riots and uprising laced daily life. As a result, many influential groups had come into prominence: the Pharisees, who were …
These were exciting, yet dangerous, days. With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus’ small band of disciples were emboldened and empowered to take the good news of a resurrected Savior to the lost world around them. Due to the severe persecution at Jerusalem, that infant family of believers, the “beloved brethren…the …
If you wear corrective lenses as I do, you may be familiar with the term myopia. Myopia is an eye disorder where light focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. Put simply, your eyes have improper focus. Because the eye is incapable of bringing the light into sharp focus, distant objects will …
Who would think that such an exquisite sound could be produced by two thin blades of cane held together by a thin metal tube? The oboe, a most challenging, yet distinct, member of the modern orchestra, is definitely near the top of my all-time favorite instrument list. But a crucial ingredient is needed before one …
In England, this was a revolutionary thought for the day. For a church to see beyond its national borders to the heathen in far-off lands was uncommon, but one young man was about to change the missionary landscape. In 1792, a little-known, thirty-one-year-old English preacher exhorted his congregation to “stretch forth” into the unknown …
Could this feat EVER be accomplished or was it a hopeless cause? To be honest, I was beginning to harbor some intense doubts. Our small Christian school had formed a high school choir, and those youngsters had a deep desire to sing for their Savior. I was confident that if we offered God our …