Thought for Today

1066: William the Conqueror lands in Sussex beginning the Norman conquest  1887: China's Yellow River floods leaving 1-2 million dead 1889: The first General Conference on Weights and Measures defines the length of a meter as the distance between two lines on a bar of a platinum alloy with 10% iridium measured at the melting point of ice. Let's just use 39.37 inches. 1904: Woman arrested for smoking a cigarette in a car on Fifth Avenue in NYC.  1920: Eight White Sox indicted, including Shoeless Joe Jackson 1944: Theodore Roosevelt JR [son of the President] awarded the Medal of Honor for leading his troops onto Utah Beach on D Day. The only general to lead his troops ashore. Eisenhower called this the bravest act he had seen in battle. Glad that our Commander leads us into a battle He has already won. Born: Confucius, Ed Sullivan, Al Capp, Jerry Clower, Brigitte Bardot, Naomi Watts, Mandy Barnett, Peter Finch, Hilary Duff, Tom Harmon Died: Good King Wenceslas, Herman Melville, L

1822: Rosetta Stone used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics 1892: Book matches patented by Diamond Match Company 1905: E=mc square introduced in Einstein's paper " Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon its Energy Content?" 1908: First Model T leaves Ford plant 1912: WC Handy publishes "Memphis Blues" 1930: Bobby Jones wins his 5th US Amateur 1938: Jewish lawyers prohibited from practicing in Germany 1954: "The Tonight Show" premiers [Steve Allen] 1962: Rachel Carson publishes "Silent Spring" Born Samuel Adams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Meat Loaf, Kathy Whitworth, Mike Schmidt,  Dies: Edgar Degas, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Clara Bow, Jimmy Doolittle, Hugh Hefner, Urban VII [after serving 13 days as Pope, shortest papacy] Thought: Continuing reading in Haggai this morning. Yesterday I was "considering my ways." Today, reading 1:12-2:9. How did the people respond to Haggai's sermon and the Lord's words? They obeyed the voice of the Lord

 1580: Sir Francis Drake completes circumnavigation of the globe aboard the Golden Hind 1789: Thomas Jefferson appointed first Secretary of State, John Jay first Chief Justice, and Edmund Randolph first Attorney General 1892: First appearance of John Philip Sousa's New Marine Band 1961: Roger Maris hits #60 1964: "Gilligan's Island" premiers 1986: Antonin Scalia sworn is as Supreme Court Justice 2016: First Hilary Clinton-Donald Trump debate 2021: Switzerland votes to legalize same-sex marriage 2023: Donald Trump found guilty of fraud for inflating asset values Born: Francis of Assisi, T.S. Eliot, Winnie Mandela, Olivia Newton-John, Linda Hamilton, George Gershwin, Serena Williams,  Died: Daniel Boone, Levi strauss, Bela Bartok, Byron Nelson, Paul Newman, Brooks Robinson Thought: Turned to the Book of Haggai this morning. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets during the days of Zerubabbel and Ezra when Jerusalem was being rebuilt and the Temple restored. Cyrus issues the

  1513: Balboa is first European to see the Pacific Ocean 1789: Congress proposes the Bill of Rights 1890: Sequoia National Park created--second NP 1949: Billy Graham begins his Los Angeles Crusade 1981: Sandra Day O'Connor sworn in as first female Supreme Court Justice Born: Fletcher Christian, William Faulkner, Ethel Rosenberg, Phil Rizzuto, Barbara Walters, Christopher Reeve, Michael Douglas, Will Smith, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Scottie Pippen Died: Mary Astor, Andy Williams, Arnold Palmer, Emily Post, Hugo Black, Billy Carter [brother of the President], Don Adams, Thought: Chapter 3 of Habakkuk is a prayer. The first 15 verses are written on two levels, or so it seems to me. First is the immediate time of the Babylonians invasion. But also, these verses seem to mirror the picture in Revelation. Jesus is coming in splendor and radiance [3:3-4]. But before He comes there is pestilence and plague. Mountains quake, sun and moon stand still.  In any event, this morning I am focused on

  1742: Faneuil Hall opens to public in Boston 1789: Office of US Attorney General created 1929: Jimmy Doolittle flies first instruments only flight 1952: KFC opens its first franchise in Salt Lake City 1957: Elvis releases "Jail House Rock" 1968: "60Minutes" premiers 2023: Taylor Swift attends Chiefs game amid rumors of relationship with Travis Kelce Born: F Scott Fitzgerald, Ayatollah Khomeini, Jim Henson, Phil Hartman, Linda McCartney, Tommy Armour,  Died: Dr. Seuss, John Sevier [TN governor],  Thought: Looking at three verses in Habakkuk 2 this morning. Two of these verse are often quoted. Look at them with me: 1:18. A maker trusts in his own handiwork. I needed to think about this today. What am I trusting in? The verse says what profit, what value does an idol have when I am the one who made it. I created the idol and now I have to ask, what good is that idol? Will it solve my real problems? Will it answer my hard questions? No! I made it an idol so it has all

1806: Lewis and Clark return to St. Louis  1889: Nintendo founded 1957: Eisenhower orders troops to Little Rock to support integration of Central High 1962: "The Jetsons" premiers 1969: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" premiers 2002: Mozilla Firefox released  Born: Augustus Caesar, Kublai Khan, Typhoid Mary, Mickey Rooney, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen,  Died: Sigmund Freud, Pablo Neruda, Bob Fosse, Gayle Sayers, Louise Fletcher Thought: Reading in the Book of Habakkuk this morning. As you can probably tell, I am reading the Minor Prophets. We seldom look at these books. Some of the verses we quote come from them and the times seem similar to ours in many ways. Although the dating is not certain, most think that Habakkuk wrote just before the second Babylonian invasion in 597 BC. Daniel and his friends were taken around 605 BC. Now the Babylonians/Chaldeans are coming again. Read the first 5 verses with me today. Look at the cry of the prophet: L

1776: Nathan Hale arrested 1823: Moroni first appears to Joseph Smith, according to Smith 1897: NY Sun prints editorial, "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Clause" 1922: President Harding signs joint resolution approving Jewish homeland in Palestine 1928: "My Weekly Reader" first issue 1937: Tolkien's "The Hobbit" published 1970" "Monday Night Football" premiers 1981: Sandra Day O'Conner confirmed as Supreme Court Justice 2022: NY Attorney General files lawsuit against Donald Trump alleging fraud Born: H.G. Wells, Larry Hagman, Dickey Lee [my friend who wrote "Patches" among others], Fannie Flagg, Stephen King, Bill Murray, Faith Hill,   Died: Virgil, Walter Scott, John Stafford Smith [wrote music for Star Spangled Banner], Chief Joseph, Earle Dickson [invented the Band-Aid], Jacqueline Susann, Walter Brennan, Florence Griffith Joyner, Rex Humbard, Melvin Van Peebles,  Thought: Finishing Micah this morning reading 7:18-20. Yes

 1519: Magellan sets off on 1st successful circumnavigation of the globe 1814: "Star Spangled Banner" published as a song 1884: Equal Rights Party nominates female candidates for President and Vice-President 1962: Mississippi Governor refuses to admit James Meredith to Ole Miss 1973: Billy Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs 1990: East and West Germany ratify reunification Born: Upton Sinclair, Sphia Loren, Red Auerbach, Dale Chihuly, George RR Martin,  Died: Jacob Grimm, Fiorello LaGuardia, Jean Sibelius, Jim Croce, Rob Bironas,  Thought: Yesterday we talked about the birth of the King who gives us peace and is our peace. Today, read Micah 6:6-8 with me. Here is a great question I should ask every morning--in light of who Jesus is and what He has done for me, what shall I bring to Him? [6:6] What can I bring to show my love, my gratitude, may devotion.  Have you ever needed to buy a gift for someone who has everything and wants nothing. Many of us have reached the age where we rea

 1778: Continental Congress passes first budget 1863: Battle of Chickamauga 1893: New Zealand is first country to allow all women to vote 1934: Bruno Hauptmann arrested for Lindbergh kidnapping 1960: "The Twist" hits number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 1970: "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" premiers Born: William Golding, Cass Eliot, Joe Morgan, Jeremy Irons, Twiggy, Trisha Yearwood, Jimmy Fallon. Emil Zatopek, Duke Snider, Al Oerter,  Died: James Garfield, Orville Reddenbacher,  Thought: Reading Micah 5 this morning. Micah is a prophet to Judah from a little town near Gath. He lived in the days before and after the fall of Israel to the Assyrians in 722 BC. Micah 5:1-5 is often read at Christmas because it tells us where Jesus will be born 700 years before His birth. Look with me at these verses. Jesus, the Lion of Judah, will be born in Bethlehem. Little, insignificant. Another shepherd king came from this area--David. And the story of Ruth and Boaz is located in Bethlehem.

  1793: Washington lays cornerstone for the Capitol Building 1837: Tiffany & Co. founded 1851: NY Times begins publishing 1899: Scott Joplin granted copyright for "Maple Leaf Rag" 1947: CIA begins operation after establishment by Truman in July 1964: "The Addams Family" debuts 1975: Patty Hearst captured by FBI Born: Trjan, Samuel Johnson, Greta Garbo, James Gandolfini, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Armstrong, Ronaldo,  Died: Domitian, Jimi Hendrix, Ken Norton, Ruth Bader Ginsberg Thought: Still in Amos this morning. Despite all the false worship and bad conduct mentioned yesterday, God still has compassion and invites Israel to return to Me. But notice what God says to the people. God sent warnings calling us to return: a famine [4:6], a drought [4:7-8], wind, mildew and the caterpillar [4:9], plague [4:10], and military defeats [4:11]. And then 5 times God says, yet you did not return.  Wonder what the list would look like for us? September 11, Covid, Aids, Afghan

  1394: Jews expelled from France 1683: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek reports the existence of bacteria 1787: US Constitution signed in Philadelphia 1835: Charles Darwin lands in the Galapagos 1849: Harriet Tubman escapes slavery 1862: Battle of Antietam--22,000 dead, wounded or missing in one day 1908: Thomas Selfridge is first fatality of powered flight 1926: 450 die when hurricane hits Miami/Palm Beach 1934: First LP released--Beethoven's Fifth Symphony 1950: San Francisco Forty Niners play first game in NFL 1954: "Lord of the Flies" published 1959: Jack Nicklaus wins US Amateur 1972: MASH debuts on television Born: Anne Bancroft, Hank Williams, George Blanda, Maureen Connolly, Phil Jackson, Patrick Mahomes,  Died: Spiro Agnew, Dred Scott, Laura Ashley, Red Skelton, Cokie Roberts,  Thought: We are seven weeks from election day and I am reading the Book of Amos today. Amos is a shepherd from the town of Tekoa, 6 miles from Bethlehem. He eats sycamore fruit--the diet of the po

  1620: The Mayflower departs Plymouth England with 102 Pilgrims 1869: First recorded hole-in-one, Tom Morris at Prestwick [8th hole] 1908: General Motors founded 1953: Movie "The Robe" premiers 1965: Davie Jones changes his name to David Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of the Monkees 1976: American Episcopal Church approves ordination of women as bishops and priests Born: Charles Crocker, JC Penney, Lauren Bacall, David Copperfield, Amy Poehler, Nick Jonas, BB King, Elgin Baylor, Rosemary Casals, Orel Hershiser,  Died: Daniel Fahrenheit, Maria Callas, Mary Travers,  Thought: Reading Joel beginning in 2:28 and through the end of the book this morning. In the Hebrew Bible, chapter three begins with 2:28. This is a look at the future. Jesus says some of the same things in Matthew 24:29-31. Think about what the Lord says through Joel.  God will pour out His Spirit. [2:28] We get glimpses of this when spontaneous revivals occur. We see this today on college campuses wher

1741: Handel completes "Messiah" after 23 days 1814: Francis Scott Key writes "Defence of Fort McKinley"  1956: IBM releases the RAMAC-305, the first commercial computer with a hard drive using magnetic tape--weighed over 2000 pounds 1960: OPEC forms [Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela] 1985: "Golden Girls" debuts 2021: Covid death toll in US reaches 663,000 Born: Margaret Sanger, Ron DeSantis, Sam Neill, Amy Winehouse, Died: Aaron Burr, William McKinley, Isadora Duncan, Grace Kelly "Messiah" is my favorite musical. Charles Jennens compiled passages of scripture describing the life of Christ. Handel provided the music for the oratory. I love this music because every word is directly from scripture and God inspired Handel to compose the music to express the power and greatness of God and Jesus.  Monday we will be reading Joel chapter 3 which speaks to the coming Day of the Lord. I think I'll listen to "Messiah" as I read tha

122: Construction of Hadrian's Wall begins  335: Church of the Holy Sepulchre consecrated in Jerusalem 1501: Michelangelo begins work on "David" 1845: Michael Faraday discovers the influence of a magnetic field on polarized light--Faraday Effect 1949: LPGA formed in NYC 1955: George de Mestral granted a patent for what would become known as Velcro 1969: "Scooby Doo" debuts 1985: First appearance of "Super Mario Bros." game 1997: Elton John releases "Candle in the Wind" Born: Daniel Defoe, Milton Hershey, John Pershing, Roald Dahl, Claudette Colbert,  Died: Titus, Ambrose Burnside, Tupac Shakur, George Wallace,  Thought: How do people in general and how do I personally face a crisis. Reading the first chapter of Joel this morning. There has been a plague of locusts. there is devastation. And the locusts are representative of a coming army and THE DAY OF THE LORD. Look at how Joel discribes what has happened. Nothing has happened like this befo

490 BC: Battle of Marathon 1792: Court Martial of mutineers on the Bounty begins 1862: Battle of Harper's Ferry 1958: Supreme Court orders Little Rock Central High School to integrate 1959: "Bonanza" debuts 1964: Canyonlands National Park designated 1965: Hurricane Betsy hits Florida and Louisiana killing 75 1977: Steve Biko dies in police custody 1981: First broadcast of "The Smurfs" in North America 1992: Mae Jemison is first African American Woman in space Born: Richard Gatling, HL Mencken, Paul Walker, Jennifer Hudson, Barry White, Jesse Owens,  Died: Peter Mark Roget, Anthony Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jack Kramer,   Thought: At the end of the book of Hosea I find some words that warn me and make me think. I am reading chapters 10-12 today. Forgive me for skipping around but this is how the passage made sense and spoke to me. 10:1-3. Look at the description of Israel and think about America or think about your personal life. A luxuriant vine. My Bible gives an a

1297: William Wallace defeats English at Stirling Bridge 1503: Michelangelo begins sculpting the "12 Apostles" for the Florence Cathedral--only 1 was partially finished 1773: Ben Franklin writes, "There was never a good war or a bad peace." 1847: Stephen Foster's "O Susanna" sung for the first time  1914: W.C. Handy publishes "St. Louis Blues" 1941: Construction of the Pentagon begins 1945: First successful kidney dialysis--the Netherlands 1951: Florence Chadwick is first woman to swim the English Channel 1965: First Calvary arrives in Vietnam 1977: Atari 2600 released in the U.S. 2001: Attack on the World Trade Center--2606 die 2001: Passengers led by Todd Beamer on United 93 say "Let's roll"  2012: US Consulate in Benghazi stormed and 5 die Born: O Henry, D.H. Lawrence, Ferdinand Marcos, Harry Connick Jr., Bear Bryant, Tom Landry,  Maria Bartiromo,  Died: Nikita Khrushchev, Tommy Armour, Jessica Tandy, Johnny Unitas, Kim Hunte

1608: John Smith elected president of Jamestown  1776: Washington asks for a volunteer to spy on the British. Nathan Hale volunteers. 1846: Elias Howe patents lock-stitch sewing machine 1913: Lincoln Highway opens--first paved coast-to-coast highway in US 1924: Leopold and Loeb found guilty of murdering Bobby Franks 1972: Frank Shorter wins marathon at Munich Olympics 1984: Alex Trebek hosts for the first time on "Jeopardy" 1993: "The X-Files" debuts 2000: University of Indiana fires Bobby Knight 2017: Hurricane Irma hits Florida Keys Born: Jay Gould, Colin Firth, Arnold Palmer, Roger Maris, Larry Nelson,  Rin Tin Tin, Amy Irving, Randy Johnson,  Died: Patty Berg, Jane Wyman, Diana Rigg,  Thought: Still in Hosea 4 this morning. Yesterday we read verses 1-3, observing that God has a case against us and there are consequences that flow from a lack of faithfulness and obedience--for me personally and for our nation. Hosea continues that thought in verses 4-10. A few th

 1776: Congress officially names our nation the United States of America--formerly the United Colonies 1850: Territories of New Mexico and Utah created 1904: NY baseball team first called the Yankees--became official in 1913 1942: First bombing on US mainland--Nobuo Fujita bombs Oregon forest after taking off from a submarine 1956: Elvis makes first appearance on Ed Sullivan Show Born: William Bligh [HMS Bounty], Leo Tolstoy, Colonel Sanders, Otis Redding, Hugh Grant, Bob Stoops, Adam Sandler, Cliff Robertson, Michael Buble, Michelle Williams,  Died: William the Conqueror, Mao Zedong, Edwin McMillan [discovered plutonium], Burgess Meredith, Edward Teller Thought: I have turned back to the Minor Prophets this morning, looking to see what the Lord might show me about my life and the world around me. Reading in Hosea 4 today.  The first 10 verses are convicting and troubling. The Lord says, " I have a case against the inhabitants of the land." Surely, this is not just addressed

 70: Titus plunders Jerusalem 1630: Boston founded 1813: "Uncle Sam" first used to refer to the US--Troy Post of New York 1876: Great Northfield Minnesota Raid 1888: First use of baby incubator 1936: Boulder Dam [Now Hoover Dam] begins operation 1940: Germans begin 57 consecutive nights bombing London 1963: American Bandstand moves to California 1965: Hurricane Betsy kills 74 2021: Bitcoin becomes legal tender in El Salvador Born: Elizabeth I, Grandma Moses, Elia Kazan, Evan Rachel Wood, Buddy Holly, Louise Suggs, Paul Brown Died: John Greenleaf Whittier, John Wesley Work, Jr. [Born in Nashville and attended Fisk; 1st African-American to collect folk and slave songs and publish them, including "Go Tell It on the Mountain"], Ken Moyer, James Clavell ["Tai-Pan," "Shogun"], Don Haskins [took Texas Western to NCAA championship],  Thought: Sorry for being a little dark yesterday. Today good news as I finish Mark. Reading 16:7 today. The tomb is empty

1628: Puritans land at Salem  1901: President McKinley shot and killed 1913: First airplane to do the loop-the-loop 1914: First Battle of the Marne 1916: First true supermarket established by Clarence Saunders in Memphis--Piggly Wiggly--did not open until the 11th 1941: All Jews over age 6 ordered to wear star in German territories 1949: First mass killing in US--Howard Unruh kills 13 neighbors in 12 minutes in Camden NJ 1975: Martina Navratilova seeks asylum in U.S. 1991: Leningrad reverts to Saint Petersburg Born: Marquis de Lafayette, Joseph Kennedy, Billy Rose, Chris Christie, Jane Curtin, Idris Elba,  Died: Margaret Sanger, Tom Fogerty, Luciano Pavarotti, Lou Brock Thought: The story of the cross told by Mark in chapter 15 is very familiar. Every Easter, we revisit the story, go to the stations of the cross, recall the seven last words, all in preparation for the celebration on Easter morning. I have heard and taught many studies on the crucifixion. We get into the bloody details,

1889: First modern brassiere patented 1957: "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac published 1960: Cassius Clay wins Olympic Gold in boxing 1972: Black September takes 11 Israeli athletes captive at Olympics and kills them 1975: Lynette Fromme attempts to assassinate Gerald Ford 1995: Cal Ripken ties Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record of 2130  2017: Hurricane Irma is most powerful ever in Atlantic Basin--185 mph 2019: Erramatti Mangamma gives birth to twins at age 74 Born: Louis XIV, Jesse James, Paul Volcker, Bob Newhart, Raquel Welch, Michael Keaton, Freddie Mercury Died:  Suleiman the Magnificent, Crazy Horse, Mother Teresa, Phyllis Schlafly Thought: Reading a familiar story this morning in Mark 14:66-72. Jesus told Peter that Peter would deny Christ three times. Here Mark reports that story. If Peter was the source, what was it like for Peter to relive this event? This passage is very personal with me. It changed my life.  When Jan and I served in the Air Force, I developed

  1609: Henry Hudson is first European to land on Manhattan 1781: Los Angeles founded 1813: First U.S. religious newspaper--Christian Observer 1885: First cafeteria opens--New York 1888: George Eastman registers the "Kodak" brand 1893: Beatrix Potter writes "Peter Rabbit"  1922: Swallow Sidecar Company founded--later Jaguar 1957: Orval Faubus calls out National Guard to prevent black students from entering Little Rock Central High School 1960: Hurricane Donna kills 148 1998: Google is incorporated Born: Paul Harvey, Beyonce, Tom Watson, Ray Floyd Died: Hank Greenberg, Irene Dunne, Steve Irwin, Joan Rivers Thought: Have you ever thought about what the chief priests, scribes and elders who were in the garden will say when Christ returns? Reading Mark 14:61-62 today. The high priest asks, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" And Jesus responds, "I am." Why doesn't the trial end there? Why don't those questioning Jesus kneel at H

 301: World's oldest republic, San Marino, founded by Saint Marinus 1777: American flag flown in battle for the first time--Cooch's Bridge Delaware 1783: Treaty of Paris officially ends Revolutionary War 1833: New York Sun begins publishing--1st daily newspaper in U.S. 1880: Jesse James gang robs Mammoth Cave stagecoach 1928: Ty Cobb's last hit 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany after invasion of Poland Born: Ferdinand Porsche, Charlie Sheen, Shaun White,  Died: Oliver Cromwell, Vince Lombardi, Frank Capra,  Thought: Reading Mark 14:47 this morning. The chief priests, the scribes and the elders have seized Jesus in the garden. One of those with Jesus took his sword, struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Try and picture this scene in your mind this morning. It is dark, the garden now lit by torches. Judas kisses Jesus and He is seized. And one of His followers has a sword and cuts off the ear of the chief priest's slave. In Mark's acco

 31 BC: Battle of Actium effectively ends the Roman Republic 1192: Third Crusade ends with a treaty--Saladin and Richard the Lionheart 1666: Great Fire of London destroys 80% of the city 1752: Britain and America adopt Gregorian calendar. Shift from the Julian calendar makes the next day September 14--11 days skipped 1798: First U.S. bank robbery 1864: Sherman burns Atlanta 1898: Machine gun first used in battle 1901: Teddy Roosevelt says, "speak softly and carry a big stick." 1935: Hurricane hits Florida killing 423 1940: Great Smokey Mountains National Park dedicated 1944: Anne Frank sent to Auschwitz 1945: Ho Chi Minh declares Viet Nam independent from France 1963: George Wallace prevents integration of Tuskegee High School 1969: First ATM Born: Adolph Rupp, Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Connors, Keanu Reeves, Salma Hayek Died: Alving York, Ho Chi Minh, JRR Tolkien, Bob Denver, Pheidippides [man who ran from Battle of Marathon to bring news of victory to Athens. Like us, he carrie