Category: The Sunday Sermonette

Richard Jones, a naval engineer, was trying to invent a meter using tension springs to monitor power on maritime battleships. One of the springs fell off a table but bounced around the room. From this mistake, the Slinky was born. Working for the 3M Laboratories, Spencer Silver was trying to invent a strong adhesive but […]

     Joseph Stalin. The name alone conjures evil. And evil he was. Stalin ruled Russia for twenty-five years, instituting a reign of death and terror that by the time it ended, an estimated twenty million people had been killed, either directly or indirectly, through famine, forced labor camps, and executions.      Over 750,000 people alone […]

“Sorry, Mr. Kalberg. Once I got to digging, I had to cut much deeper than I thought I would.” “Doc, this hole in my head! Will it heal properly? Will it leave a scar?” “Yes, it will heal just fine.” Then with a wry smile, the doctor said, “Sorry about the scar.” “Yikes! Why was […]

          When I wander where I shouldn’t, please, Father God, help me to sing – Come home, come home, you who are weary come home. Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling, O sinner, come home!      When I ponder the world and its madness therein, please, Father God, help me to sing – Blessed […]

At 2:18 on the morning of April 15, 1912, the lights on board RMS Titanic flickered and went out forever, plunging her luxurious interiors into darkness, along with over 1500 passengers, all clamoring for a spot on her rising stern. The screams of those aboard echoed through the inky blackness of the starry nighttime sky. […]

      Easter, 1912, fell on April 7th. England’s magnificent cathedrals would have been packed, their soaring, columned interiors filled with the sweet bouquet of incense and majestic choral music. But on the RMS Titanic, its luxurious interiors were being readied for her maiden voyage.          30,000 fresh eggs, 800 cases of shelled walnuts, and 15,000 […]

     In June 1962, Mom, Dad, and I moved into our house on Wilson Drive in the College Park Subdivision. Vast stretches of College Park were then nothing more than palmetto-invested pine thickets crisscrossed by streets. I remember seeing our new house for the first time. Naturally, I bounced ahead of my parents and dashed […]

Is there anything cuter than a little baby? Squiggling around. Cooing. Smiling a toothless grin. Squealing with joy. Little arms stretched out, wanting to be held. And then, something that’s not supposed to happen, happens. The child’s heart begins a downward spiral for no apparent reason. Doctors rush in. Tests are completed. The baby’s sedated. […]

For the first fifty years of the 20th Century, ocean liners were the largest man-made moving objects on earth. They ruled the seven seas with their glamour, speed, and style. They were floating cities, a microcosm of society in those days. And because they were the only way to navigate the globe, the rich and […]

      “To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came. And those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball…” When I first heard Janice Ian’s song, “At Seventeen,” in the fall of 1975, it reminded me of gym class at Gulfport’s Bayou View Junior High, where football teams, […]

     You remember poor, old Job, don’t you? There he was in the lap of luxury. Rich. Comfortable. His family large and successful. He was healthy, and life was good. He was righteous and faithful to God, too. He was truly blessed! Then, suddenly, his life took a turn, and Job lost it all. When […]

In the Old Testament, watchmen stood on Jerusalem’s ancient walls, searching the horizon for those who might attack the city. Because of their crucial tasks, these men had to be reliable, honest, and trustworthy. Reliable and honest in what they saw and reported to their commanders. Trustworthy that what they did report was accurate, whether […]

The Sunday Sermonette – Photography.           Photography irrevocably changed the way we see the world. No longer dependent on artists to dab paint onto a canvas, thus creating their version of the world, photographs allowed us to view it as it really was through the camera’s eye. The oldest surviving photo was taken around […]

     In the early 1990s, the Kinetic Neo Skene Theater (KNS) was known for its lavish productions of some of Broadway’s most beloved musicals. Its production of Showboat at the Biloxi Saenger Theater was no exception!      The show was directed by KNS’s resident director, Kinard Fite. He was a genius at his craft. His […]

     As an only child in the late 1950s, my two best friends were me and the World Book Encyclopedia. On cold, rainy days, I had to make my own entertainment in those wonderful days before 24/7 children’s television shows and cell phones. When Mom and Dad were busy around the house, and I was […]

Rudeness is easy, takes no effort, and tells the world you are weak and insecure. Kindness, on the other hand, is not so easy, especially when dealing with rude people. However, showing kindness indicates self-discipline and strong self-esteem. A kind person is someone who has studied Life and has chosen to be kind over being […]

The first four months of the New Year are some of my favorites. Yes, there are those dreary days of rain and darkness. However, the sun always breaks through the dark clouds, spreading its warmth into the marrow of our bones. Each time I watch the sunlight shimmering through my stained glass rose window, I’m […]

Ever been hurt or betrayed by someone you love? A friend or a family member? You might choose to keep a safe distance from that person, fearing that rekindling the relationship would again put you in harm’s way. Regardless, you should forgive and not allow your heart to overflow with bitterness, which, like scalding cancer, […]

In the summer of 1977, Gulfport’s First Baptist Church loaded its infamous Bluebird bus with a gaggle of young people, and off to Mobile they journeyed, excited to hear The Eagles in concert. It was my first rock concert; it was my last as well. The screaming, singing crowds were too much for my twenty-five-year-old […]

       The gentle, methodic ticking and rich, melodic chimes of antique clocks can provide a sense of comfort and add an air of security to their surroundings. Such was the case in the clock and watch shop of Casper ten Boom, once located in the city of Haarlem, Holland. But his sense of security […]

Many mornings, while washing the breakfast dishes, I’m greeted by feathery friends flying around my back door. They often see themselves in the reflective sun film on the door, and when they do, they think they’ve seen a feathery enemy. And thus, the fight begins. This little cardinal was partially vicious one morning, tapping at […]

The Titanic was known for many things—stunning public rooms, carved oak paneling, stained glass, and delicious cuisine, even for 3rd Class passengers, many of whom had never seen food in such abundance. A swimming bath. A gymnasium. And miles of promenade decks on which to walk and enjoy the brisk, salt-sea air. An army of […]

     World War I was a meat grinder! Its vicious teeth devoured over 16 million lives. It gnawed away many of Europe’s empires and saw the abdication of the German Kaiser and the Russian Czar. Due to four vicious years of death and destruction, animosity toward Germany overflowed in 1919 at the Treaty of Versailles. […]

In life, while carving your way through its stone-hard architecture, there are times when you must struggle to see the fresh light of day. But, in the end, when you do, how delightful it is to peek back through the stones of life and be happy you kept on carving. Ponder this and go forth. […]

Going from the Old Year to the New Year is like graduation. And like graduation, it can be a meaningful time to pause and reflect on the past year while looking ahead to a fresh new year and all its possibilities. Taking stock of the past year, with its positives and negatives, is beneficial for […]

     As you know, the Olympic Class Liners, especially the Olympic and her ill-fated sister, Titanic, have fascinated me since childhood. In the Olympic’s 1st Class Smoking Room, a painting, “The Approach of the New World,” hung above the fireplace. I’ve often wondered how many people studied that painting and pondered what was in store […]

     The mere mention of Christmas evokes memories of times, places, loved ones, and friends, perhaps now long gone. Remember twinkling Christmas tree lights reflecting off Shiny Brite ornaments? A gooey-delicious pecan pie? A loved one’s perfume? Crisp, cold air? Crunchy snow? The high-pitched laughter of children opening presents on Christmas morning? Tears when it […]

Sometimes, our emotions are more powerful than our reason. Sometimes, our emotions bury reason behind words and actions that should have been thoroughly considered before making them a reality. So, today and in the future, take a breath and pause before you react. Ponder this and go forth. (Originally published December 18, 2022.)

         When I graduated from High School in May 1970, Mom, Dad, and I loaded up our brand-new Plymouth Fury III and journeyed West. Dad took annual leave from Kessler, and because Mom and I were out of school for the summer, we were gone for a month, touring all the sights between […]

Are you a person of immediate action but without an ultimate purpose? Are you within sight of victory, or have you settled for mediocrity? Ponder this and go forth. (Originally published December 11 2022.)

     “Only one dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time… Three times, Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.” This is how O. Henry opens his famous 1905 short story, “The […]

The old WWII song, Accentuate the Positive, comes to mind if you are attempting to make constructive changes in your life. First, banish the negative things or people that prevent you from being the person you want to be or doing the things you want to do. Remove their negativity — cruelty, deceit, hypocrisies, jealousy, […]

     Imagine my delight earlier this week when I peered from under my snuggly-warm, eiderdown quilt and saw Fall’s first frost sparkling atop my neighbor’s roof just as the sun christened the dawn in a lavender-tangerine wash. The frost was thick, forming a blanket of white. It covered car hoods and children’s bikes with feathery […]

Sincerity and truth, like a Vermeer painting, are rare in today’s culture. People smile bright Pepsodent smiles, but their smiles hide everything from lies to flattery and deception. Don’t be deceived. Look for sincerity and truth in those you love and call family and friends. Ponder this and go forth. (Originally published November 27, 2022.)

When I was a teenager in the 1960s, Mom, Dad, and I often paid weekly visits to the Harrison County Library on Hwy 90 in Gulfport. I enjoyed walking up its modernist spiral staircase, grabbing a book from the many shelves on art and architecture, then planting myself in a comfortable chair to read and […]

In the early days of sea travel, lighthouses guided ships to a safe harbor. Without them, those ships would have crashed onto the rocky shore. You’re like a lighthouse! The painful events of your life, which you endured and educated you, could be a lighthouse to your family and friends. The wisdom gleaned from your […]

Throughout history, many things were thought to be worthless, only to be deemed valuable at a later date. Some seemingly useless things helped change the world for the better, helped shine a new light on ages past, or filled our eyes with beauty. Let’s dig around in history’s trash bin for some worthless things.                […]

Knowledge is simply information you glean from the local library. Wisdom is the ability to discern the best knowledge and the strength of character to act upon it. Therefore, wisdom is the application of knowledge learned to make good decisions in life. Wisdom and knowledge are two essential character traits that we should all strive […]

At the ripe old age of seven, I could no longer take my parent’s tyrannical rules and regulations. Saturday mornings were the worst. I only wanted to eat Mother’s homemade pancakes in peace while watching The Lone Ranger in my Bug’s Bunny footie pajamas. Neither Mom nor Dad seemed to appreciate the importance of those […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE: November 8th is just around the corner. Please remember to honestly evaluate those running for office. Make sure their charisma, grand entrances, apparent concern for justice, and friendly embraces are nothing more than a mask – a mask covering their graft, lies, and hunger for money and power. Ponder this and go […]

I was at the gym last week, running nowhere on the treadmill, lickety split! The telly was on, and as I raced along, I could not help but be saddened by the news reports coming out of Israel. In war, children and the elderly suffer the most. They are helpless in many ways, yet they […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE – October 30 2022. Advice that goes against your wishes is sometimes hard to swallow. However, your decision must be based on the quality of the advice, not on its attractiveness. It’s best to separate advice from your personal desires. Seek it from those who will tell you the truth, not just […]

The Sunday Sermonette – Blunders and Mistakes. October 29, 2023.                 As a child, I loved playing with dragonflies! I’d see one buzzing around, wait for it to land, then grab it and hold it in my hand. I was fascinated by its bulging, yellow-green eyes, its tiny mouth viciously chewing my index finger, and […]

The Sunday Sermonette DEC. 11, 2022. Are you a person of immediate action but without an ultimate purpose? Are you within sight of victory, or have you settled for mediocrity? Ponder this and go forth.

The Sunday Sermonette March 13, 2022. Oft time we allow past experiences to determine our future actions. If we had one bad experience at a local restaurant, we vow to never return. If we go our socially or to church and no one speaks to us, we tend to think all social events and all […]

The Sunday Sermonette October 17, 2023. In the mid-sixties, I took art at the Gulfport Recreation Center. The building was located east of City Hall, where the current fire station is. The art classes were taught by a frail-looking dynamo of energy, Mrs. Effie Gridley. She taught hundreds of children and adults the art of […]

The Sunday Sermonette October 15, 2023. The last words of people have always fascinated me. Sometimes, in the closing moments of our lives, we find the most clarity and say the things we most want to say. I’m sure “When the Roll is Called up Yonder,” we all wish to be surrounded by those we […]

Sometimes, if I can’t sleep late at night, I fire up the old computer and watch Reels and Short Videos on Facebook.The silverback gorillas and their offspring tumbling around with their happy purrs, hums, and sighs bring a smile to my face. Baby elephants dancing a jig during muddy baths, their little trunks blowing water […]

The Sunday Sermonette September 17, 2023.In times of spiritual light or darkness, I need thee. In times of wealth or poverty, I need thee. In times of sickness or health, I need thee. In times of war or peace, I need thee. In times of political turmoil or political tranquility, I need thee. In times […]

The Sunday Sermonette September 10, 2023. My dear mother grew up in hard times. Old Man Depression roamed around D’Lo, Mississippi, like a roaring lion, devouring much of what he saw. Life on the farm was a struggle, to say the least. Then came the onslaught of World War II. Times got worse. Those hard […]

For Baby Boomers, Saturday mornings were magical times. The telly was bursting at the seams with cartoons and serials. Sky King. Roy Rodgers. Looney Tunes. And The Lone Ranger. I was especially fond of Bugs Bunny and his outlandish foolishness. One bright Saturday morning, I watched dear old Bugs piece together a “steam engine” from […]

“Cart this back to the quarry if you want to,” a struggling Renaissance sculptor said, putting down his hammer and chisel in exasperation. “This block of marble’s useless.” And then it sat for 24 years, exposed to the elements in a church’s backyard until another Renaissance sculptor said, “Bring it to my shop. I see […]

The Sunday Sermonette August 27, 2023. The days were black, but the nights were blacker. Depression is a dark force, squeezing the light out of a person with its unrelenting tentacles of fear and doubt. For me, the early 90s were dark times. Through a series of bad choices—my choices, no one else’s—my life, as […]

The Sunday Sermonette July 23 2023 “Andy, what is another word for dictionary that starts with G and has eight letters in it?” Mother asked, sitting calming in her old rocker, seemingly oblivious to the storm raging just outside our living room window. As the green oven of July melts into the fierce eye of […]

The Sunday Sermonette August 13, 2023. “Andy, ever take a personality test?” As we rode home from a long, delightful weekend, a dear friend asked me this question. When I said I hadn’t, my friend sent a link to an online test I took once I got home. I had to answer a series of […]

The Sunday Sermonette July 16, 2023. As a child, I often went fishing with my sweet Granny from D’Lo. She taught me how to bait the hook, where best to fish, and how to wait patiently for the little red and white bobber to tantalizingly bob up and down. One day, the bobber went down […]

The Sunday Sermonette July 9, 2023. What are the hardships in your life? Work? Family? Friends? Relationships? Your health? Unfortunately, hardships are an inescapable part of the process we call living. How we endure them though, ah, therein lies the rub, as the Bard once wrote. One way to endure them is to moan, to […]

The Sunday Sermonette June 4, 2023. Growing up in the late 50s and early 60s, I watched many TV Westerns like Gunsmoke and Wagon Train. I was always fascinated when the camera panned the desert and tumbleweeds came rolling by. Like Cowboys, Indians, and buffalos, those dried-up tangles are icons of the Old West, and […]

The Sunday Sermonette June 11, 2023. One day, millions of years ago, our little friend in the snap was attracted by the smell of resin oozing from a tree, perhaps a prehistoric pine. Deciding to rest his weary wings, he came to rest in the resin and found himself trapped. As the resin fossilized, forming […]

The Sunday Sermonette May 21, 2023. Hurt? Angry? Bitter? Rejected? Maligned? Like grapes on a vine, relationships with family or friends can sour, their sweet love and affection turning bitter. The first step toward reconciliation, however, comes when you pray to Father God for healing—YOUR HEALING. Gather all your bitterness and resentment and bury it […]

The Sunday Sermonette – May 28, 2023. These Bible verses from II Timothy 3 were written over two thousand years ago. Whether you believe in the Bible or not, you might agree that these predictions are spot on for the present-day world in which we live. When will Christ return and call his children home? […]

The Sunday Sermonette May 7, 2023. How honest are you about being dishonest? Have you ever looked back on your life and seen where dishonesty worked against you, causing you great mental anguish and others to distrust you. The Good Book reminds us that honesty is wiser because “the wicked are trapped by their own […]

The Sunday Sermonette April 2, 2023. In today’s world, trouble wraps itself around us with vicious tentacles. Earthquakes. Horrific tornadoes. Wars. Fatal illnesses. Personal trials and tribulations. The senseless murder of children and adults. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were hounded by trouble as well. They often turned to God to help solve their […]

The Sunday Sermonette April 23, 2023. “Sorry, Mr. Kalberg. Once I got to digging, I had to cut much deeper than I thought I would.” “Doc, this hole in my head! Will it heal properly? Will it leave a scar?” “Yes, it will heal just fine.” Then with a wry smile, the doctor said, “Sorry […]

The Sunday Sermonette March 5, 2023. In the Old Testament, watchmen stood on Jerusalem’s ancient walls, searching the horizon for those who might attack the city. Because of their crucial tasks, these men had to be reliable, honest, and trustworthy. Reliable and honest in what they saw and reported to their commanders. Trustworthy that what […]

The Sunday Sermonette March 19, 2023. In life, it is not enough just to avoid what is wrong—we must actively pursue what is right. Ponder this and go forth.

 In the Book of Chronicles, there’s a man named Er. It states that he was wicked, which led to his death. Thousands of years later, that is all we know about poor old Er. That is his legacy. That is how he is remembered. Each of us is creating a legacy, the imprint we leave […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE February 19, 2023. When I was a child in the late 50s, I often spent languid summers with my sweet Granny from D’Lo, who, at that time, lived in Jackson, Mississippi. Early mornings crackled with the smell of frying eggs and bacon, but the afternoons were awash in the sickly-sweet smell of […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE January 22, 2023. “Words, words, words!” sings Eliza Doolittle in the classic musical, My Fair Lady. Saying the right words at the wrong time can be just as devastating as saying the wrong words. Timing is everything. As you waltz or stumble along life’s pathway, be careful what you say, when you […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE January 15 2023. Are there times in life when you want to give up due to the pressure to succeed or to make your life count? Are there times you want to run away, take a voyage to nowhere, and never come back? If so, please consider Francesco Queirolo’s masterpiece, “The Release […]

SUNDAY’S SERMONETTE May 15, 2022. Expectations are part of life. It’s how those expectations are met that reveal character and priorities. Need help with your expectations, talk to God. Ponder this and go forth.

Sunday Sermonette October 3, 2022. Ever endure a traumatic experience? Sudden loss of your job, home, or someone you love? Ever sat in the darkness of that loss, wondering where to go or who to turn to? Many will only turn to God when they are stumbling in the darkness, falling to their knees, begging […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE October 9, 2022. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger,” says the Good Book. Bitterness and anger are a lethal concoction of human emotions. Like an out-of-control vine, they can wrap around your heart, squeezing the love out of it and plunging you into the depths of depression. They can also […]

THE SUNDAY SERMONETTE – OCT. 16, 2022. Have you ever heard a song that sticks in your mind, and you go singing it throughout the day? Hopefully, it puts a smile on your face and a skip in your step. But there’s an inner song, deep within your soul, that God composed just for you. […]

The Sunday Sermonette March 26, 2022. Do we ever stop maturing? Maturity is a delicate dance between what you know and what you still need to learn. It is not measure by age but by experience. One of maturities’ milestones is when you stop complaining, stop making excuses, and start making changes. Change is not […]

The Sunday Sermonette October 23, 2022 Expecting God and Jesus to speak to you during church rallies, meetings, and conventions is good. But the most uplifting moments spent with God and Jesus are when they speak to you in a gentle whisper, in the quietness of your humbled heart. Ponder this and go forth.

In the 1970s, Wednesday Night suppers at dear ol’ First Baptist Church Gulfport were hot ticket items. The Fellowship Hall was a bustling beehive of clattering restaurant china and well-worn stainless steel cutlery. The tempting aroma of fried chicken, cornbread, and turnip greens beckoned from the kitchen. The room echoed with high-pitched laughter and bubbling […]

                The North Atlantic has always been a treacherous body of water. It can be viciously stormy, icebergs can lurk in its darkness, fog can cut visibility to zero, and submarines can creep beneath its waves. It’s been home to floating palaces like the Titanic, the Lusitania, and the Andrea Doria. It’s also been home […]