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In 1833 a young English clergyman, John Henry Newman, was traveling in Italy when he grew gravely ill. He was nursed by his servant for nearly a month before he finally had the strength to carry on. He boarded a boat, aching to return home and do the work he was ordained to do. But […]
Love changes over time—and so do those who love. The love of newlyweds is different from the love of a couple who has been through years of life’s ups and downs together. The love of parents for a newborn is different from the love for that same child now grown. The scope and feeling of […]
From the time European settlements first appeared on the North American continent until the middle of the 19th century, communication between the Old World and the New World was difficult. A letter took anywhere from six weeks to four months to find its recipient. Imagine writing a letter posing a question about the weather in […]
The Old North Church, an Anglican church where sea captains and merchants loyal to the crown worshipped, is most famous as the place where two lanterns were hung in the tower to warn that British troops were arriving in Boston. Paul Revere, one of the Sons of Liberty, enlisted the help of the church’s sexton […]
During this year we commemorate 75 years of continuous broadcasting. Today’s message was delivered by Richard L. Evans in 1966. “If one by one we counted people out for the least fault,” wrote Robert Frost, “it wouldn’t take us long to get so we had no one left to live with.” We may well think […]
We don’t always realize the impact a few words can have on our children. We wonder if they hear us when we ask them to work a little harder, keep their rooms clean, and keep their promises. Maybe if we consider our words more carefully, our children will too. After all, words can be the […]
A small woman with a big heart made a world of difference. Born in Yugoslavia with the given name of Agnes, she changed her name to Teresa upon taking her religious vows. Mother Teresa, as she came to be known, lived an exceptional life of love and service, first to the poor in India and […]
It is hard to imagine spring this time of year, with much of our world blanketed in ice and snow. But when the thaw comes, a mass migration begins. Thousands of geese wing their way home. Some fly from southwestern Europe to Scandinavia, others from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic. Using the natural […]
During this year we commemorate 75 years of continuous broadcasting. Today’s message was written and presented by Richard L. Evans on October 12, 1947. It sometimes seems that we live as if we wondered when life was going to begin. It isn’t always clear just what we are waiting for, but some of us sometimes […]
Two thousand years ago, in a quiet stable in Bethlehem, the world changed. The Prince of Peace and Salvation was born. Angels sang hosannas to those who had ears to hear. A bright star in the heavens proclaimed His birth to those who had eyes to see. A newborn King would bring joy, not just […]
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of […]
We often find ourselves humming a tune that seems to bring a little joy to the mundane. We don’t always know where it comes from, but for some reason it makes us feel good. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is one of those tunes. Imagine this hymn being sung in 18th-century England. This was long […]
During this year we commemorate 75 years of continuous broadcasting. Today’s message was written and presented by Richard L. Evans on December 25, 1955. On this day, and even at this hour, there comes into our consciousness a sense of countless scenes and settings that we should like to look in upon, across this beloved […]
Today in this venerable setting of our nation’s capital, we remember with thanksgiving those who went before. We look back through history that we might more fully appreciate today’s blessings and tomorrow’s promise. In this country we celebrate Thanksgiving every autumn. This holiday hearkens back to 1621 when the pilgrims of Plymouth invited their Indian […]
In 1871 a great fire raged through Chicago, destroying businesses and row houses and leaving hundreds of people jobless and homeless. Horatio Spafford, a successful lawyer and businessman who specialized in real estate, lost everything he owned in the fire. Remembering the pain of losing a son some years earlier, and being grateful to still […]
Grieving is an essential part of living. It helps us move forward with our lives after we experience deep loss. Grieving means we feel sorrow, and because we do, we are able to free ourselves from bad feelings, like anger and regret. When a loved one dies, when a child wanders, when poor health debilitates, […]
Danny Dutton, an eight-year-old boy, was given an interesting homework assignment. His teacher asked him to explain God. He began by saying, “One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the old ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t […]
During this year we commemorate 75 years of continuous broadcasting. Today’s message was delivered by Richard L. Evans in 1953. All of us are troubled at times by the unanswered questions of life. All of us wonder at times about the point and purpose of many things, and even wonder why we are here. Such […]
Nearly 400 years ago, the Puritans crossed an ocean to come to a land where they could worship God as they pleased. Among this handful of hearty men and women was John Lathrop, a prominent minister of the time. Beloved of the people, he was a strong proponent of liberty and a champion of tolerance […]
When Jeremiah was nine years old, he lived with his family in a Sudanese village. They farmed, raised a few cattle, and kept warm around a single fire when the evenings grew cold. Then a brutal civil war in Sudan spread quickly to the farms and villages. To protect his young son, Jeremiah’s father sent […]
Some days have more rain than sun, more wind than calm. Indeed, no one sails upon life’s waters without being tempest tossed at times. But no matter the billowing surge, all who look to the Lord for strength and salvation can find reason to be grateful and, in their gratitude, feel peace and joy. Rising […]
During this year we commemorate 75 years of continuous broadcasting. Today’s message was delivered by Richard L. Evans in 1961. Two essentials for a good and effective life are flexibility and firmness—flexibility in some things and an absolute immovability in others. Frequently we hear it said that times have changed. Young people say it. Others […]
We don’t always know what we’re getting into or what we will learn from it. Such was the case with a young man named Matthew who agreed to coach a football team of 12-year-olds, not anticipating what that would mean to him and the boys. When Matthew met his football players for the first time, […]
Few things invite reflection like a walk in the woods or a night under the stars. In these natural settings, we reflect on our origin, our purpose, and our connection with all of creation. We feel closer to the Divine. And, like the Psalmist, we rejoice: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the […]
Almost every evening a single father gathers his children around the dinner table so they can share the good and not-so-good events in their day. They call it their “apple” and “onion” of the day. Sometimes they can’t wait to tell each other something, and other times they feel like they don’t have much to […]
During this year we commemorate 75 years of continuous broadcasting. Today’s message was delivered by Richard L. Evans in 1948. “It isn’t easy for those who are young to understand the loneliness that comes when life changes from a time of preparation and performance to a time of putting things away. In the eager and […]
Most of us have had the experience of being suddenly awestruck by something we usually take for granted. In one startling moment a sunset takes our breath away. In that moment we see with new eyes, and for a time afterward we see differently. Green is greener, stars dance brighter, and sounds ring clearer. But […]
While many poets have looked to the imagination for answers—creating myths and dreams, that teach the truth, Robert Frost observed his New England farm a little more closely. Making sense of our lives, he believed, takes examination of the language around us—the way we see apples or snow-covered trees, a field of flowers or a […]
A story is told of a young girl who received a beautiful candle as a gift. It was delicate and unique. She treasured it so much that she decided to save it to light it on a special occasion. After a while she put the cherished candle in a drawer where it would be safe […]
Every one of us yearns for freedom like the breath of life itself. Our desire for freedom is as innate as our need to think or to feel. Even young children sense that something is wrong in the world when liberty is restricted to a select few and when their own lives are preserved only […]