Category Archives: Anecdotal Stories

In Act and Word Scripture References: Galatians 1:11; 2 Peter 3:15 Gouverneur Morris was one of our most important founding fathers. According to James Madison, the style and arrangement of the Constitution were his. Morris talked voluminously at the Constitutional … Continue reading →

The Need to Negotiate Scripture References: Exodus 18:13-17; 1 Corinthians 6:4 When American recalcitrance to pay taxes motivated the colonies to fight the English Crown, statesman Edmund Burke felt the time had come for accommodation. The American spirit couldn’t be … Continue reading →

Make It Emphatic Scripture References: Genesis 2:16-17; Matthew 7:21-23 In an article written for the New York Times, Pulitzer prize winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti said it took him nearly eighty years to learn the golden word “no.” He had … Continue reading →

Only That Scripture References: Psalm 78:38-39; Matthew 9:2 It happened in Florida. A doctor fell from his golf cart and hit his head so hard he almost bit off his tongue. Rushed to emergency in the hospital where he had … Continue reading →

Map In the Sky Scripture References: Job 37:22; Matthew 16:2 Ancient Polynesian mariners traveled thousands of oceanic miles with only a knowledge of sea currents, sea creatures, and the heavenly bodies to guide them. Columbus’ men knew a large land … Continue reading →

We See Only Ourselves Scripture References: Psalm 89:1-14; Romans 8:20 In Old Topanga Canyon, Southern California, dissimilar groups manage a peaceful coexistence: pot growers, a nudist colony, a sprout farm, and million dollar homeowners. The common factor is their relationship … Continue reading →

A Natural Protection Scripture References: Psalm 68:19; 2 Corinthians 1:9 A record snow melt in the Colorado Rockies in 1983 triggered disastrous flooding the whole length of the 1,400 mile Colorado River system. A potentially deadly encephalitis threat emerged in … Continue reading →

A Study In Contrasts Scripture References: Deuteronomy 30:15; John 16:6, 20-22 The North Pole is in a sea two miles deep—the South Pole is on a plateau two miles high. The North Pole is in a sea, encompassed by lands—the … Continue reading →

An Unabsorbed Identity Scripture References: Exodus 6:7-8; John 9:5 William of Normandy conquered only English land, not English hearts. Nor did he ever enjoy his triumph. By giving English land to Norman gentry, he antagonized his subjects. By brutally oppressing … Continue reading →

From Frivolous to Foolish Scripture References: Genesis 16:13-14; Matthew 21:15-17 When Mrs. Virgin went to the doctor to see if she was pregnant, the doctor examined her, then went to a window and scanned the sky. What was he looking … Continue reading →

Do You Have the Right Guy? Scripture References: 2 Kings 23:36, 24:8; Acts 21:37-38 The Navy twice arrested William Finch and hauled him in as a deserter, though he is not in the Navy. Someone used his name and social … Continue reading →

What’s In a Name? Scripture References: Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:21 AYDS, a diet-control candy, made great profits for its manufacturer from 1941 until the 1980s. By 1988, sales dropped as much as 50 percent. Nothing in the product changed, but … Continue reading →

To Bring the Light Scripture References: Isaiah 60:16, 19; Ephesians 3:10-11 An English doctor found writing short stories more to his liking than writing prescriptions. After numerous rejections, Beeton’s Christmas Annual delighted the doctor by publishing his murder tale in … Continue reading →

To Bring the Light Scripture References: Isaiah 55:1-2; Ephesians 5:19-20 Returning to his hut late one night after Bible study, Ernest Gordon thought he heard singing from another hut. He stopped and listened. It was singing. To the accompaniment of … Continue reading →

To Stay Out of Despair Scripture References: 1 Chronicles 15:16; Luke 7:18-19 The Green Beret prisoner crouched in a small shipping crate in which his Vietnamese captors forced him. The incredible heat, the infernal mosquitoes, and the constant poking from … Continue reading →

In a Few Minutes Time Scripture References: Isaiah 7:14; Luke 2:15 The priests in St. Nicolas Church, Obendorf, Austria, panicked Christmas Eve, 1818, when the church organ malfunctioned. The assistant pastor quickly penned a six-stanza poem, beginning with the words … Continue reading →

Gone to the Dogs Scripture References: Nehemiah 12:27-28, 31, 38; Hebrews 10:25 Neighbors close to a large kennel began to complain about the disruptive noise. The owner decided to experiment with music piped through the kennels to see if it … Continue reading →

Not Really Scripture Scripture References: Genesis 3:2-4; Romans 7:24-25 In his Meditations, Marcus Aurelius praised his father as a man who could appreciate, without pride or apology, whatever good came to him. What he possessed he enjoyed; what he couldn’t … Continue reading →

Even the Depraved Scripture References: Deuteronomy 1:17; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 While working undercover for the FBI, Joseph Pistone found that even Mafia soldiers have strong moral feelings. What did they feel about Iran, while it held our embassy? Bomb Teheran. … Continue reading →