Lessons from History Archives » Page 6 of 34

The Presidents’ Wives

Because I enjoy reading biographies, on this Presidents’ Day it should not surprise you that I would want to look a bit at Abraham Lincoln and George Washington—and especially at the role of their marriages in their presidencies. They stand at sharp contrast to one another in terms of the personalities of their wives and the harmony in their households.

Warnings, Cautions and Notes

February 7, 2022
Linda
Lessons from History, Spiritual Training
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In the military, equipment comes with a tech manual which includes instructions on its proper use. In the manual are warnings—operating procedures which could result in personal injury or loss of life if not carefully followed; cautions—operating procedures which could result in equipment damage if not carefully followed; and notes—operating procedures which are essential to emphasize. When teaching the Bible, my husband and I sometimes refer to the “warnings, cautions, and notes” which are included in our “tech manual” for living. Scripture is filled with instruction for proper use of our bodies, our minds, our tongues, our actions—so that we will not injure ourselves or others—and also with essential guidance on how to live our lives to the glory of God. Looking at some of Oswald Chambers’ writings, we can see how he was giving his soldiers (and generations of his readers since) “warnings, cautions, and notes."

Remembering the Four Chaplains

When the same story keeps coming up, I pay attention. There must be something that God wants me to know or do—or share. So when my husband visited a chaplain’s office and saw a copy of the 1948 commemorative stamp of “The Four Chaplains”, signed by a survivor of the sinking of the U.S.A.T. Dorchester in 1943, I wasn’t surprised. The story of the four heroic chaplains was one my husband and I had recently studied and even included in a new Bible study. Perhaps you know about Reverend Clark Poling, Rabbi Alexander Goode, Father John Washington, and Reverend George Fox—but if not, let me share this amazing story.

Greater Grace for Deployment

January 24, 2022
Linda
Lessons from History, Spiritual Training
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People write books on God’s grace. Books about transforming grace, saving grace, all-sufficient grace, powerful grace. . . . .amazing grace ... But what about grace to face multiple deployments? Perhaps your marriage survived the first deployment. . . .barely. Then with the second deployment you were more prepared than the first, and took some steps to improve in communications and commitment. The third deployment came sooner than you expected and more frustration set in. Now you’re on what seems to be a never-ending course for more and more separation, loneliness, hard work under harsh conditions, and danger. . . . . what kind of grace will get you through those struggles? Let’s call it greater grace. Greater grace takes you from “I can’t do this anymore” to “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

Not a Silent Night

It was Christmas Eve in Thailand, 1972. Thanks to Armed Forces Radio “Silent Night” was playing in our room . . . but it was not really a “silent” night at all. I was a young Air Force wife visiting my husband serving that year in Southeast Asia—but even in my naïveté, I knew something big was imminent. Linebacker II was in progress—the 1972 Christmas bombing of Hanoi—and the constant sound of take-offs (“please, Lord”) and landings (“thank you, Lord”) from the Air Base was surreal in dissonance with the sweet music I was hearing on the radio. A rescue was in the works, and the POWs, so long tortured and confined in Hanoi, heard and felt the thunderous aircraft noise with great hope and expectation for their eventual release from captivity.

Pearl Harbor–The Jake DeShazer Story

Sgt. Jacob Daniel DeShazer was a crew member in the legendary Doolittle Raiders, a team of 80 brave military servicemen who volunteered to bomb Tokyo in retaliation for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. DeShazer was among those captured by the Japanese Army after bailing out of his plane over Japanese-occupied China. He spent 40 months in captivity, 34 months of it in solitary confinement, and was the victim of cruel torture and starvation. In his own words, DeShazer said, “My hatred for the enemy nearly drove me crazy. . .

Pilgrims Deployed

Each year we celebrate Thanksgiving in the tradition of the Plymouth colony’s harvest at the end of their first year in the New World, 1621. Did these early settlers have cause to thank an Almighty God for their condition? Consider the following facts: The Pilgrims did not come to America to seek religious freedom.

It Was at Gettysburg

The speech known as “The Gettysburg Address” was the dedication ceremony message for the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, given by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863—158 years ago today . . . But have you ever wondered how this particular visit to the battlefield affected President Lincoln? Coming just 4 ½ months after the Union army’s decisive defeat of the Confederate forces at the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln was so moved by the view of acres of soldiers’ graves that he gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ right there.

Legacy of Service

Our son continues the legacy of military service which is so evident in our family. Perhaps your family is the same—you are passing on something that you saw, lived and valued enough to invest in for your future generations. Or perhaps your family is first to serve your country in military duty. What we can say for sure is that others are watching. Perhaps your children, like our son, are seeing the fruit of honorable service and sacrifice. “The eyes of the world are upon you.” We are proud of you. On this Veterans' Day, we say "thank you for your service to our dear country, and to our Lord."

October 31st is Reformation Day!

October 31st is the date most well-known for the holiday we call Halloween. In a 2007 report, the estimated economic impact of Halloween is between 4 billion and 6 billion dollars—and now estimated to exceed $8 million. In Al Mohler’s article “Christianity and the Dark Side—What about Halloween?” he quotes historian Nicholas Rogers as saying, “Halloween is currently the second most important party night in North America. In terms of its retail potential, it is second only to Christmas. This commercialism fortifies its significance as a time of public license, a custom-designed opportunity to have a blast. Regardless of its spiritual complications, Halloween is big business.” But did you know that October 31st is also the anniversary of the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany?

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