October 23, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, October 23.
Yesterday, we welcomed a guest teacher to our church. He was an expert in the area of Apologetics. That's a term that, perhaps, isn't widely known or well understood. The word comes from the Greek "apologia." That sounds like our word "apology," but has more in common with the legal term, defense.
October 20, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Friday, October 20.
There are many mythical creatures in human folklore, including dragons, unicorns, the Loch Ness Monster, the abominable snowman, and my personal favorite, Bigfoot. Also known as Sasquatch, this 10-foot-tall humanoid ape is said to roam the forests of America. On this day in 1967, a 60-second film was made in Northern California of an alleged Bigfoot. You've probably seen it. For most folks, especially the skeptical ones like me, it looks like nothing more than a big guy in a gorilla suit.
October 19, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Thursday, October 19.
We begin a new millennium today. This is Daily Devotion #1001. These little thoughts began going out during the last week of March in 2020. As they continue, three and a half years later, I thank you for being a faithful reader. On this special occasion I reprint a devotion from that very first week, one of my favorites, a story behind one of my favorite hymns.
October 17, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, October 17.
My favorite pianist is a man that I never heard play. Fredric Chopin died on this day in 1849. That was about 30 years before a man named Edison invented the phonograph. But Chopin was also a composer, and when you listen to others play his piano pieces, you get a glimpse of what it was like to hear the Maestro play.
October 16, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Monday, October 16.
Yesterday morning, in the worship service at First Baptist Center, our pastor asked us to do something that was a bit unusual for a Sunday morning service. He asked us to gather in small groups in our sanctuary to pray. He asked us to pray . . . for Israel.
October 13, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Friday, October 13.
Are you afraid of Friday the 13th? Well, enough people are that there's a word for it... paraskevidekatriaphobia. Say that three times fast! Every year has at least one Friday the 13th. 2023 has had two. 2026 will have three - Get Ready! And one last little bit of trivia - Friday the 13th only occurs when the first day of the month is on Sunday, the Lord's Day.
October 12, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Thursday, October 12.
If you are of a certain age, you will well remember the name Nikita Khrushchev. And you will have a mental picture of this Cold War Russian leader famously losing his temper and pounding his shoe on a desk.
October 11, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Wednesday, October 11.
Once a month, the adult choir of First Baptist Church of Center... goes caroling! On a Wednesday evening, instead of rehearsing, the group travels to the front yard of a shut-in and shares songs and encouragement. The choir members are a blessing, and they are blessed.
October 10, 2023 - Good Morning! It's Tuesday, October 10.
On October 10, 1966, the Beatles song, "Yesterday", became the #1 song in America. In 1999, Rolling Stone magazine declared it the greatest pop song in history. It's been recorded ("covered") by over 2000 artists, and performed over seven million times.