Tag Archives: Anecdotes

Eternally Optimistic Scripture References: Psalm 27:1; Acts 2:41 In 1914 the French never contemplated defeat at the hands of Germany. The essence of optimism over Germany’s eventual defeat is revealed in an apocryphal report to General Joseph Joffre from General … Continue reading →

A Fatal Flaw Scripture References: 1 Samuel 17:45-46; Matthew 26:51-54 Incredible warriors, the Aztecs intrepidly bludgeoned their enemies into subservience. They were also uncompromisingly bloodthirsty, worshipping stony-faced deities they believed demanded human sacrifices. At the dedication of one temple, a … Continue reading →

Do What You Are Given Scripture References: Jeremiah 36:16-17, 23-24; Acts 16:9-10 Actor Jamie Farr played the high-heeled, cigar-chomping Corporal Klinger in M.A.S.H. About two hundred fans attended the ceremony when he was added to Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Few … Continue reading →

Missed Opportunities Scripture References: Deuteronomy 18:15, 18-19; John 8:24 Ben Franklin made a speech on the last day of the Constitutional Convention, urging harmony among the delegates. It astonished him, he said, that they had produced a constitution of such … Continue reading →

That One Person Scripture References: 1 Samuel 23:16-17; Ephesians 4:7; Hebrews 2:4 Jessie Owens and Luz Long competed against each other in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. What Owens later called “an act of special grace and special courtesy to a … Continue reading →

That One Person Scripture References: Exodus 19:5; Malachi 3:17; Mark 1:11 Somerset Maugham’s The Social Sense centers on a married couple. Mary Warton had been a concert singer in her day and remained an accomplished musician as a doyen. Her … Continue reading →

It Is Really For God Scripture References: Genesis 12:1-9; Acts 10:34 Like a harvester, God gathers his people on Sundays for worship, to celebrate their common faith. Afterwards, like a sower, God broadcasts those same believers like seeds into the … Continue reading →

To Choose a Horse Scripture References: Ezekiel 21:21; Philippians 4:19 As welders’ arcs showered sparks in the racetrack’s new $80 million grandstand, a middle-aged man walked down an aisle seeking a lucky seat. He had been hired by a public … Continue reading →

An Appropriate Symbol Scripture References: Exodus 22:18; Acts 8:9-13 Could any symbol be more appropriate for an occult practitioner than a Barbie doll? One woman considers herself the channel through whom Barbie speaks in response to inquiries. She appreciates and … Continue reading →

Always Ready, If Not Eager Scripture References: Exodus 3:18; Luke 12:50 Thinking war would be a great adventure, John Gibbon’s Black Hat Brigade went eagerly into battle at Second Bull Run. There they fought well while losing many of their … Continue reading →