Annie Moses Band

Memories

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments



What happens to our memories
When tomorrow comes to call?
Do they sit around discussing
If we remember them at all!

Or do they gently fall asleep
And doze off in their dens
And dream of days when we may come
To wake them up again!

Memories
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2026
All rights reserved

What do you think about your memories? If you are a seasoned citizen like me, have you tried to preserve them in some way for your family and friends? If you are young, have you taken time to ask the older folks in your circle if they will tell you theirs? I had the privilege in my own case to sit down with my Great-grandmother as she opened her scrap books and showed me pages filled with memories including a visit to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair! With my dad, I often listened to him telling stories of growing up in New York in the 1920′-30’s. My favorite was of the time he was about eight and my aunt Helen who was seven at the time, were sent to the butcher to pick out a live chicken for the Sunday dinner. Then they waited as the man ushered the chosen bird into eternity, plucked its feathers, wrapped it in butcher paper and put it in a sack to carry it home. They each held one handle keeping the bird dangling in between, so no one had to touch it! In the last ten years of dad’s life, I came across a wonderful book titled, “Letter’s From Dad” by Miles Everhart. After reading the book, I bought three copies; one for each of our sons and one for my dad. This book gives the story of the author’s realization of the value of family memories, and he gives a nice template to use for either yourself or others. I am sure that there are other great resources out there that do similar things, so if you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments. Have a blessed and memorable week everyone!

Can You Hear the Bells?

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

For most of us, December 25th is the day we think of as Christmas. But in my home city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, with a large population of Ukrainians and Russians, many people mark January 7th as their day of celebration. Sadly, this year, people who call themselves Christians in their part of the world are in combat rather than celebration. The poet Longfellow in the midst of the American Civil wrote of times like these when he penned these words, “And in despair I bowed my head; There is no peace on earth, I said” * But things were not really all that different 2,000 years ago when the wise men saw the star, while Herod plotted murder. And when shepherds were hearing angels sing, the Romans were still busy crushing any resistance to their rule in Israel and finding new ways to tax its inhabitants to maintain their empire.

Yet in the middle of suffering, just as Longfellow wrote, we can find hope, because “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.” Because of God’s bells that ring from Heaven, we have reasons to smile and can still celebrate, as we turn our hearts towards the Prince of Peace and remember his birth. Only He will give us real joy and a reason to worship, in this world filled with anger, war and hatred. If we set aside the tinsel and notions of Santa and turn our hearts to Jesus Christ, we will begin to experience a peace that goes far beyond a ceasefire or peace agreement. On Christmas, God sent Jesus as the light in our dark world. When He grew to be a man, Jesus died to set us free from our sins and give us His peace. Jesus is our hope, no matter our situation and Jesus can be our salvation, no matter our battle. Jesus is the one before whom shepherds and wise men bowed and God invites us to come to Him, not only at Christmas, but also on every one of our sunniest mornings and in each of our darkest nights. We can come with hope because Jesus came as the friend of sinners and as Immanuel – God with us. We have hope because we remember that He loved us enough to come as an innocent child and then surrendered His life to show us the depth of His love and bring eternal peace on the terrible Cross of Calvary.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Lentil Soup And a Wise Man’s Gift

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment 
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 
Matthew 2:11 ESV

“What’s for dinner honey?” I said with a laugh knowing that it would be lentil soup for its third and final performance. During those first years of marriage, our food shopping was a low-cost adventure. So, with Christmas not far away, even putting up a tree with decorations was something we couldn’t afford. That year, Christmas Eve was pay day and at four thirty I waited in line for my check. “Merry Christmas” My boss said winking as he handed me my envelope. “There’s something extra in there for you tonight.”  

I peeked inside and drew a quick breath in astonishment. “Wow thanks Joe! Merry Christmas to you too” I said amazed at seeing a fifty-dollar bill tucked inside! I drove home through the heavy traffic getting there just before five. “Come on Nancy! Let’s go buy a tree!” I shouted as I ran up the stairs to show her my bonus. Five minutes later we bundled up and drove to a Christmas tree lot where the owner was delighted to sell us a tree for five dollars, just before he closed. Then we raced over to the Woolworth store, where for ten cents each we bought some colored glass bulbs and a string of lights with tinsel. God didn’t have to send the wise men with gifts to make it Christmas; but He did. That Christmas our wise man was named Joe and he left us a special gift on that Silent and Holy Night!

“Because of Bethlehem, I have a Savior in heaven. Christmas begins what Easter celebrates. The child in the cradle became the King on the cross. And because he did, there are no marks on my record. Just grace.”  
Max Lucado
Lentil Soup And a Wise Man’s Gift 
by Peter Caligiuri - Copyright 2021
All rights reserved