Beech Tree News Network

Elton John and Bernie Taupin wr0te “Step Into Christmas” .  The song was recorded November 11, 1973, at Morgan Studios in Willesden, London.  It was released November 23, 1973.  In 2009, “Step Into Christmas” was listed as the ninth most-played Christmas song of the 200’s in the U.K.  In December 2021, the song was certified double pla

“If you don’t quit parking there, you’re going to back into my truck.”  Garey has said this to me on more than one occasion.  

 “How many times have I backed into you?” I ask.  “The answer is zero,” I answer before he can.

            While Ezra 10 will be the focus of this writing, we need to look at Ezra nine for a moment because this tells us what sin the people had committed. Ezra nine tells us that God’s people had married foreign women (Ezra 9:1-2). When Ezra heard this, he bowed, prayed, and asked God for forgiveness (Ezra 9:6-15). All the people witnessed this, and Ezra 10:1-8 details the three-fold response the people had to sin and shows us how we should respond to sin as well (Rom. 15:4). What did the people do?

In past years leading up to Christmas, I’ve delved into the history of classic Christmas hymns.  This year, I’ll go behind the scenes of modern classic Christmas songs.  I’ll start with a favorite: “Last Christmas” by Wham. 

In recent weeks, I spent a few days with a friend, visited extended family, and had a weekend with my family. I am thankful we were able to make those connections. Catching up with people is a good thing.

Aggie passed away the day after Thanksgiving.  She was Garey’s mom, but she treated me like she was my mom.  I loved her like Ruth loved Naomi, and she loved me like Naomi loved Ruth.

Aggie taught me so many things that no one else bothered to teach me, like how to cook green beans down without burning them; how to cut off corn with a sharp knife then scrape the cob to get all the milk that was left, leaving a skillet-full for fried corn; how to add just a little flour to the cornmeal for perfect cornbread; and how to use milk instead of water for the perfect box cake mix.

In Ezra 3:2, it says that the Israelites had built the altar and sacrificed because they feared the others in the land. They saw some people as threats to them, so they began rebuilding the Temple by first building an altar to worship God. I am impressed that when they feared what the enemies might do, those folks came together “as one man” (Ezra 3:1, that’s unity!) and determined to build an altar where they could sacrifice as God had intended. In other words, they turned to God when they were afraid and worshipped Him!

As the United States prospered during the Roaring Twenties, so did New York City’s iconic department store, Macy’s.  After going public in 1922, R. H. Macy & Company started to acquire competitors and open regional locations.  Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan’s Herald Square did such a brisk business that it expanded in 1924 to cover an entire city block stretching from Broadway to Seventh Avenue along 34th Street.  

Along with ending Kentucky’s failed three-decades-long experiment giving school-based decision-making (SBDM) councils undisputed control over key areas of operation and reestablishing a chain of accountability in schools, Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) makes it clear: citizens’ voices regarding academic content must be heard.

Recently, I stopped by Cracker Barrell to have breakfast, and I was seated to the right of a large metal shoe sign.   “Star Brand Shoes Are Better,” the large sign announced.  The shoes had a large star on the bottom of the heel, along with the initials, R J R & S.  The sign piqued my interest, because I had never heard of Star Brand Shoes.