Shellie Taylor

Earlier this week, I gave a presentation on genealogy for beginner's. I stressed that the hobby of genealogy can be challenging and frustrating, but also very rewarding and gratifying. This post reflects that sentiment and is dedicated to my great-grandmother, whose birthday was today, July 12, 1895. Growing up, my Dad always told me about a woman he simply called "Granny." It was clear by the way he spoke that she was someone he loved dearly. Although grandparents shouldn't have favorites,...

As July 4, 2026 draws to a close and the early hours of July 5 approach, I ponder how important this day was for us as a nation. Scrolling through social media, I saw a post that said, "Many of us won't be waving flags or watching fireworks. Not because we hate our country, but because we love it too much to pretend everything is fine." That made me incredibly sad. If you're waiting for us to be a perfect nation, you will be waiting a very long time. We have never been nor will ever be...

Gilgal, the region of Israel possibly linked to the memorial stones in Joshua 4 I am one of two rotating Sunday School teachers at my church and this past weekend I was particularly attached to the subject of our lesson. I learned about memorial stones in the Bible! The passage we learned about came from Joshua 4 after the Israelites cross the Jordan River on completely dry land. Joshua instructed the high priests to take the Ark of the Covenant into the waters while the people crossed. This...