A Reply to “10 things about Christianity…”

“10 things about Christianity that Jesus would not be happy about if he returned” was posted on Facebook by St. Alban's Episcopal Church on June 14 at 9:51 AM. It was written by Jim Palmer* (JP).  I found the post quite troubling and felt a need to explain what bothers me about it. My comments (JSK) on each of … Continue reading A Reply to “10 things about Christianity…”

How has the country changed during my lifetime?

Cars are safer and more efficient, more people have cars, phones are better, people live longer, information about everything is much easier to get, shopping is easier, farming has become more efficient, food is safer and easier to buy, air-conditioning is much more common, microwaves make cooking easier, there are more people, photography is easier … Continue reading How has the country changed during my lifetime?

The Issue of our Period in History

Future historians will look back on the early 2000s and call it a very dark period in history because of one issue that is even more repugnant and evil than slavery. The issue that will define these times is not the virus, Trump, the media, the climate, immigration, the wall, the Constitution, or China. People … Continue reading The Issue of our Period in History

Johannes Saam, Immigrant and Union Soldier 

Nearly 200 years ago, on 9 May 1822, Johann Saam was born in Hesse-Cassel (Germany) in the Saam family home. The Saam family had lived in that home for over 300 years (1). Sometime between 1847 and 1857 Johann’s brother Bernard went to the US and settled in Eagle River, Michigan (1). We do not … Continue reading Johannes Saam, Immigrant and Union Soldier 

One Bag Packing 

My wife and I each used an eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible backpack (https://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/mother-lode-tls-weekender-convertible/143101?productid=10362789 ) on our recent 3 week trip to Europe. Our trip included traveling around Italy by train for 10 days followed by a cruise from Venice to Athens, a total of 20 nights. We took everything for the trip in … Continue reading One Bag Packing 

Thoughts After Seeing “The Hiding Place”

Recently we attended a performance of “The Hiding Place”, a play about a Dutch family who hides Jews escaping from the Nazis. As we left the play, my wife said, “Sobering”. That was more than I could say at the time, very sobering indeed. In general, I do not like movies or plays about the … Continue reading Thoughts After Seeing “The Hiding Place”