Have you ever read any information concerning those who lost loved ones during that attack that has come to be known as “9-11?” If not, you may find the following information interesting that I found somewhere. I apologize that I do not remember the source. I would also add that, as you read the information, a key word in all of the figures you will be reading is average.     Responders and their families received an average of $4.2 million from all sources, compared with $3.1 million for other victims. Nearly all the difference is attributable to charitable donations and to payments from New York’s Public Safety Officers’ Benefits program. It appears to be the…

To me, it was a soothing, summer evening thunderstorm. To her, it was destructive. To me, it was offered comfort and a chance to to be thankful for my blessings. To her, it destroyed her safety and home. Who was right? It all depends on your perspective and circumstance. It was a summer thunderstorm but I was hearing it through the brick walls of my home, while her home was swaying high in the trees outside. The next day, my son and I were mowing the grass when I learned of her plight. “She” was a mother squirrel whose nest had been blown out of a tall tree. Thankfully, I…

Just a few days ago, the stuff of science fiction actually happened right here in America. In Detroit, paramedics came to the aid of a 20-year-old woman who was unresponsive at her home. They performed life-saving techniques for about half an hour, but there was no response. After their efforts, the woman was pronounced dead, the family was informed, and a funeral home came to get her body to prepare for a service. Only, when morticians got ready to start their work, they realized the woman was breathing. She was still alive! As you can imagine, they were surprised, but they also did what you would expect: they immediately called…

A lot of trends seem to have begun with my generation. Sadly, not all of them are positive.  Many in my generation made fun of our parents and grandparents who basically accepted life as it was; had a job that might not have been “fulfilling,” but which put food on the table; took their marriage vows seriously; and raised their children to be productive members of society. We were taught by many in the fields of entertainment and education that life had to be more than that. While all of us did not “tune in; turn on; and drop out,” we were definitely encouraged to “find ourselves.” That quest that gained momentum during…

Various social media have changed our world in ways far too numerous to even attempt to deal with here. It seems to me that one of the most obvious of those ways has to do with the people we now refer to as “friends.” Before Facebook, Twitter, etc. I’m not sure I ever had a friend I’d never met. I guess that those who have had penpals have had that experience, but I have not. Now, at least on Facebook, I have over 2,000 “friends.” I do not follow all of them and I’m sure that not all of them follow me. Nevertheless, we are categorized as “friends.” As I type these words, my concern…

Since we are ending the 2010s (can you believe that?) we thought it might be fun to share the top posts that have ever been presented on our site. These rankings are from Google analytics and stretch across the past 10 years. Since we are ending 2019, here are the top 19 posts EVER from A Legacy of Faith. 19. Thursday Hymn Reflection: “There’s a Rainbow in the Cloud” (July 29, 2010). It is fitting that the first post on our countdown is a hymn reflection. As you will see, a staggering eight of our top 19 are from these series of posts we did years ago! 18. A Tribute…

One of the first sermons I ever remember preaching was called “4 Things You’ll Never Hear Satan Say.” (As with all of my early sermons, it was pretty terrible.) Of those four things, the one that I still think about is this one: “Here I am!” The basic premise is that the devil is far more subtle than to just jump out and tell you he’s right there, blatantly tempting you with sin. Earlier this week, police in Tampa, Florida had to remove an alligator, which they described as “very large and very angry,” from a fairly public area. But what made the story interesting was that the gator was…

We begin this article by making the assumption that you are a daily Bible reader. Okay, we will also settle for often if not every day, but in any event, let’s just talk about how you read it. Most people struggle with understanding the Bible because they have not taken the proper approach. Simply reading it and even reading it regularly is not enough. Here are a few pointers to help your Bible reading become everything it can be: 1. Know the Testaments. By no means start with the New Testament. You have to get a handle on the Old Testament first. From creation to the fall of man to…

She was (and is) the one with whom I hope to spend the rest of my life. From those earlier times when it was a new experience until now when it never grows old, watching her breathe means, among other things, commitment. It means that home is wherever the two of us happen to be. She was our firstborn. We had prayed for her to be healthy and God had graciously blessed us with a positive answer to that prayer. He also did that later when her brother was born. Watching her (and her brother) breathe and sleep was such a joy. It meant that these two precious souls felt…