by vfcadmin | Dec 17, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Riding Lessons Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer A while back my great nephew, Enoch, decided he wanted to learn to ride a horse. His grandmother (my sister Sandra) told him she’d teach him. When it came time for his first lesson, she put him up on her quarter horse mare,...
by vfcadmin | Dec 10, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Picture Puzzles and Insights Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer Putting together a jigsaw puzzle is one of those quiet pleasures many of us enjoy. Things can go awry, especially if an unwatched cat pilfers a piece, but a finished picture puzzle, especially a 1000 piece...
by vfcadmin | Dec 7, 2025 | advent, Year of Reflection
The Coming of Peace (2nd Sunday of Advent) Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer The second theme of Advent is peace. From one perspective, human history is a catalog of conflicts. If we are speaking of the history of the United States we start with the Revolution, follow it...
by vfcadmin | Dec 3, 2025 | Year of Reflection
Remorse, the Zero Sum Game Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer Back when it was new, I became a fan of Jan Karon’s delightful series, “The Mitford Years.” The first book, At Home in Mitford, was released in 1994 followed by 13 more with the 15th novel to be released this...
by vfcadmin | Nov 30, 2025 | Year of Reflection
The Coming of Hope (1st Sunday of Advent)Ruth Ann Stites, Staff WriterAs we approach the end of this year we enter Advent season. The four Sundays leading up to Christmas offer us the opportunity to focus our hearts and minds on what, or rather who, Christmas is all...
by vfcadmin | Nov 26, 2025 | Year of Reflection
A Spiritual Thanksgiving CelebrationRuth Ann Stites, Staff WriterWhen I was in elementary school Thanksgiving always included cutouts of pilgrims thumbtacked to the bulletin board with the occasional Indian thrown in for good measure to commemorate the Thanksgiving...
