Kith & Kin

See bottom of page for an encouraging update to this post. Proverbs 31:6–7 ·        KJV: “Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.” ·        NIV: “Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” ·        NASB: “Give intoxicating drink to one who is perishing, And wine to one whose life is bitter. Let him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his trouble no more.” These are two of the most intriguing verses in the entire Bible, yet I have never heard anyone preach on them. If we go further down through Proverbs 31, we run into the Virtuous Woman (vv. 10–31), and I’ve heard a lot of preaching on that passage. Some pastors (not all!) have used the example ...

  AI generated by Copilot. Back in my twenties, thirties, and forties, I knew everything. That’s not really true, of course. Let’s say instead that I knew all the conservative Christian rules regarding What kind of music all Christians should listen to. What is and is not modest for women. Exactly what length a man’s hair should be. Which businesses Christians should and should not patronize. Which politicians to support. Which causes to support—and which ones to oppose. Which entertainment choices were acceptable and which were not. [1] I also thought, when I was young, that as I grew older, these Unassailable Truths would become firmer, joined by even more Unassailable Truths (hereafter “UTs”). The wisdom I would possess when I would be, for example, sixty-two would be immense! I would know even more answers! Then life happened. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not questioning my faith (although that exercise is good for you to do every once in a while), and...

Merry Christmas from my mom. . . . the nut. I haven’t been doing this blog very long, but I knew when I began it that the time would come when I needed to write memories about my mom, and I knew that could be emotionally draining for me. Nobody had a more profound effect on my life than Mom did, with her wonderful qualities and even her faults. I know God is in control of everything, but I can’t help feeling cheated that she went as suddenly as she did. On the other hand, Dad suffered for weeks and months before he passed, and I wouldn’t have wanted her to go through that either. On this date, Thursday, December 1, 2022, Mom would have been eighty-five years old , having been born in 1937. She was godly and wise. She was stubborn. She was a good listener. She had a temper. She was a faithful friend. She could be blunt. And she was unquestionably . . . a nut. She had a wonderful sense of humor, something any mother of four sons needs in abundant supply. So to avoid growing ...

Her voice was ever soft, Gentle and low, an excellent thing in woman. William Shakespeare,  King Lear , Act 5, Scene 3 Her face was round and soft and wrinkled, the way a grandmother’s face should be. She had a warm smile and a quiet laugh. Her full name was Lorena Oretha Gill Skaggs, but we all called her “Buddy.” She was born in 1905 in Fayette County, West Virginia, and she died seventy-three years later in Fayette County, West Virginia. She was mother to four children but gave birth to only one. She was of small stature and somewhat shy, but she had an inner strength that allowed her to placidly take things as they came, responding with a quiet, “Well . . .” She married my paternal grandfather, Weston Wills Skaggs, in 1936, and they remained married until her death. She was Weston’s second wife. Eva Grace Holliday Skaggs Weston’s first wife, my paternal grandmother, was Eva Grace Holliday, who was born on July 11, 1906. According to one of her cousins, “Eva was a ...