Heroes

Book Review – Sir Ernest Shackleton’s South
[caption id="attachment_45864" align="aligncenter" width="610"] Photo Credit: Library of Congress[/caption] Before the space age dawned, the great frontiers for adventure and exploration were the polar regions. Sir Ernest Shackleton was part of two expeditions which set "Furthest South" records in 1902 and 1909, striving for the South Pole. After Captain Robert Scott's death on the way back…
Movie Review: Apollo 11
I’m a fan of historical films (see my reviews of They Shall Not Grow Old and Darkest Hour). I had read some sharp criticism of last year’s dramatization First Man and didn’t see it, but Melanie and I had a recent “date afternoon” and watched the purely documentary Apollo 11 at a local IMAX theater.…
The Preacher and the Presidents
Billy Graham Mingled but Didn't Mix Politics and Religion Book Review: Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy: The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House (New York: Center Street, 2007). 413 pp.   For half a century, the evangelist from Charlotte was the defining figure in American evangelicalism. He was also the de facto…
Movie Review: 12 Strong
“Nineteen men attacked our country. The twelve of you are the first to fight back.” 12 Strong is the story of the Army Special Forces team which dropped into northern Afghanistan 39 days after 9/11, our first military response to bin Ladin's terrorist network. Their mission was to link up with an Afghan commander named General…
Why Luther is Important for My Kids
Our family makes a point this time of year to talk about the courage of Martin Luther, but there are reasons beyond a spirit of “Yaaaay, TEAM! Go, Protestants, go!” There are some serious lessons that we want our children to absorb from Luther’s life, and they’re not Protestant-vs-Catholic talking points – they apply to…
Remembering a Nearly-Forgotten Founder
September 27 is the birthday of one of the nearly-forgotten Founding Fathers, Samuel Adams. His cousin John Adams became George Washington's vice president and then his successor; Samuel is known for a modern beer brand. In fact, this founder of the Sons of Liberty and eventual governor of Massachusetts was actually a political activist and an intellectual…
Book Review – SAMUEL ADAMS: A LIFE by Ira Stoll
In a dinner party discussion of David McCullough’s recently released biography of John Adams, Ira Stoll volunteered that his favorite Adams was Sam. Everyone thought he meant the beer. Actually, Stoll admires the uncompromising and incorruptible Samuel Adams, who was an indifferent brewer but a zealous patriot. This volume is Stoll’s attempt to clear away…
Movie Review – The Finest Hours was time well spent
This is the story of "the most daring rescue" ever conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard - and I'd highly recommend it for families with young men. (more…)
A Better October 31st
Q: So what is Reformation Day and why do you celebrate it? We were delighted to find out that Christians have been celebrating Reformation Day as a holiday since at least 1567! As parents of six boys, we've loved having a holiday to remember a true Christian hero — a man who faced death and…
What If Dad’s Not A Christian?
A reader wrote: [In your webinar,] you discussed how Dad is the first Hero and he should point the boys to the Ultimate Hero, Christ. We have a 9-year-old son, he is our only child, and my husband is not a Christian, but is tolerant of our going to church (without him) and our son…