On this day in 1787 a constitutional convention convened in Philadelphia with representatives from seven states. Though the meeting was not authorized by Congress, they were among the most eminent men in the young American republic—and several were actually members of Congress. Their purpose was to draft amendments to the Articles of Confederation. Under other circumstances, the meeting might have been considered a coup …
Extracting Hope
“It is not from the secret counsels of Heaven, of which all are ignorant, but the open communications of Heaven, to which all have access, that we extract hope.” Thomas Chalmers
The Nicene Council
The first Ecumenical Council was convened in the Byzantine city of Nicea on this day in 325 by the recently converted Roman emperor, Constantine. It was a momentous occasion—the first time the church had convened a universal synodical meeting since the time of Peter, James, John, Barnabas, and Paul at Jerusalem to discuss the initial outreach of the largely Jewish …
Penman of the Revolution
Widely known as the “Penman of the Revolution,” John Dickinson (1732-1808), wrote many of the most influential documents of the period—from the Declaration of Rights in 1765 and the Articles of Confederation in 1776 to the Fabius Letter in 1787 which helped win over the first States to ratify the Constitution: Delaware and Pennsylvania. Having studied law in England, Dickinson was devoted to the English common law …
Birth of a Nation
The independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv as British rule in Palestine came to an end on this day in 1948. Immediately, all of its Arab neighbors declared war and vowed to destroy the nation altogether. Arab troops greatly outnumbered the entire Jewish population, but of the 85,000 Jews in Palestine, 30,000 took up arms to defend …
The Panama Canal
President Theodore Roosevelt authorized the start of construction on the Panama Canal on this day in 1904. The fifty mile canal crossed the Isthmus of Panama and enabled ships to travel from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans without having to undertake the long voyage around South America. The construction–which continued for just over a decade–involved many innovative engineering and medical advances, employed …
Kuyper Online
Princeton Seminary has begun digitally archiving their massive theological library–including the complete works of Abraham Kuyper. The free library is now available online. Amazingly, only about one-sixteenth of the Kuyper canon has ever been translated into English–so, here is a great opportunity for some Masters and Doctoral projects or theses. Kudos to my bibliophile friend, Ben House, for this heads-up find. by …
Poetry: A Guide on Where to Start
G.K. Chesterton–start with the “Ballad of the White Horse” and “Lepanto” but don’t miss his short, humorous verse and his Christmas poems. Hilaire Belloc–almost all of his poetry is worth reading, but especially his traveling verses. Sir Walter Scott–nothing beats his great epics like “The Lady of the Lake.” Arthur Quiller-Couch–again, almost everything from Q is worth careful reading, but …
A Dreadful Anniversary
On this day in 1923, the legalization of an infanticide procedure called “abortion” first occurred in the United States when Governor John Love signed a Colorado bill into law.
St. George’s Day
The Patron Saint of England, Lybia, Lebanon, and Greece, George was a Syrian Christian soldier who quickly rose through the ranks of the Roman the army into the Imperial Guard by virtue of his valor and vision. However, he had the temerity to confront the Emperor Dioclesian concerning his harsh, unjust, and bloodthirsty decrees. For his candor and courage, George …
Favorite Chuck Colson Books
1. Born Again 2. How Now Shall We Live, with Nancy Pearcey 3. The Body: Being Light in Darkness, with Ellen Vaughn 4. Why America Doesn’t Work, with Jack Eckerd and Lloyd Billingsley 5. Kingdoms in Conflict, with Ellen Vaughn 6. Against the Night: Living in the New Dark Ages, with Ellen Vaughn 7. The Good Life, with Harold Fickett 8. The Faith, with Harold Fickett 9. A Dance with Deception: Revealing the Truth Behind the …
Aggravated Gossip
“Gossip, even when committed in the name of justice, is still gossip–only now, it is gossip aggravated by self-righteousness.” Maurice Baring
Cleveland at 216
April 19, 2012: First settled on this day in 1796, Cleveland remained a sleepy little village at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on the shores of Lake Erie for nearly two decades. But the nearby exploits of naval commander Oliver Perry during the War of 1812 highlighted its strategicposition. The completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal in 1832 and the …
A Radical Take on the 90-10 Rule
J.C.Penney opened his first Golden Rule Store, in Kemmerer, Wyoming on this day in 1902. His life credo was, “You can’t outgive God.” He proved it by building amulti-million dollar commercial empire while always giving away ninety-per…
Why Are These Lessons So Hard to Learn?
1. Look before you leap.2. Aim before you shoot.3. Think before you speak.4. Get the facts before you judge.5. Verify before you crucify….