Serve by Design

I just received one of my favorite gifts of the season! And yes, I have already opened it! For two decades now, two of our closest friends in Texas have been making our Christmases extra special! They have been gifting us with a yearly Texas State Capitol Ornament. This exclusive and beautiful ornament annually features a new aspect of the vast history surrounding the beauty, tradition, and folk lore behind Texas’s beloved State Capitol in Austin. This series ornament is in its 29 th year! The monies generated by ornament sales support the ongoing preservation and interpretation of the Capitol for the next generation of Texans and for over one million visitors who come to the Capitol each year. "Jingle Bells" Why all the hoopla about this ornament? You must not be a Texan or have lived in the Lone Star State! Our family is inextricably tied to Texas! Three of our four children were born in Texas during the fifteen years we lived in the Great State while I attended seminary a...

Since 1782, the Bald Eagle has been the national bird of the United States of America. Many believe that the Founders made an appropriate choice because of the eagle’s majestic beauty, powerful strength, and fierce independence. It is likely that our forefathers borrowed the treasured emblem from the Native Americans who revered the Bald Eagle and its feathers in their traditions, culture, and religion. To them and patriotic Americans as well, this beloved symbol represents courage, honesty, truth, wisdom, and freedom. Lincoln In Lincoln, Illinois! Lincoln, Illinois, has distinguished itself for being the only city in the United States to be named after Abraham Lincoln before he would become the Sixteenth President in 1861. Lincoln helped to found the city in 1853 and christened it with watermelon juice. To this day, the downtown Train Depot marks the christening with a historical plaque and a small “watermelon monument.” Lincoln, Illinois was the setting for numerous visits by Abraha...