On this episode of Our American Stories Noah Webster believed winning the Revolution was only the beginning If Americans were going to become a truly independent people he thought they needed to stop speaking spelling and learning like the British So the stubborn and obsessive Connecticut writer set out to give the new nation a language of its own His schoolbooks taught generations of American children his spelling reforms changed the words they wrote and his dictionary consumed decades of his life Joshua Kendall author of The Forgotten Founding Father Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Ed Sullivan couldn't sing dance act or tell a joke He wasn't even particularly comfortable in front of a camera Yet for more than two decades millions of Americans tuned in every Sunday night to watch him introduce the biggest names in entertainment It was an unlikely destination for a poor kid from Harlem who spent years chasing success as a sportswriter gossip columnist and radio personality James Maguire author of Impresario The Life and Times of Ed Sullivan joins our own Lee Habeeb to share how Sullivan built one of the most [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories by the Confederacy was losing the Civil War on the battlefield But hundreds of miles behind Union lines Confederate agents were fighting a very different kind of war Working out of secret bases in places like Montreal they gathered intelligence plotted acts of sabotage worked with Northern antiwar activists and searched for ways to disrupt the presidential election and ignite an uprising in the North Some even considered an extraordinary target Abraham Lincoln himself Patrick K O'Donnell author of The Unvanquished shares the hidden history of the Confederate Secret Service and makes the [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories in Elizabeth and Robert Dexter took charge of the Unitarian Service Committee's relief office in Lisbon Portugal as Jews and other desperate refugees fled Nazi-occupied Europe Many arrived without valid papers having crossed borders illegally and hidden in freight trains vegetable carts and anywhere else they could find safety With Portuguese authorities watching their operation the American couple helped these refugees find shelter and quietly disappear into the shadows For our ongoing series The Six Percent Deborah Dwork author of Saints and Liars shares the story of the Dexters and the risks they [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories in -year-old Roswell and Marjorie McClelland put aside the academic and professional lives they had planned and sailed for Europe with the Quakers' American Friends Service Committee War had already engulfed the continent and the young American couple soon found themselves helping Jewish and political refugees fleeing the Nazis For our ongoing series The Six Percent Deborah Dwork author of Saints and Liars shares the story of the McClellands and the agonizing decisions that came with trying to save lives during the Holocaust Marjorie was eventually given an especially difficult task choosing which [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories before PEZ dispensers came topped with Mickey Mouse Santa Claus and superheroes PEZ was a benign Austrian peppermint marketed to adults as an alternative to smoking Then PEZ came to America and flopped Instead of giving up the company decided to change course and a candy once meant for adults found an entirely new audience in American children Shawn Peterson author of PEZ From Austrian Invention to American Icon shares the surprising story of how a failed product launch transformed PEZ into one of the world's most recognizable candies and an icon of [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories at years old Victoria Arlen's body began shutting down Eventually she lost the ability to move or communicate and spent nearly four years in a vegetative state while doctors told her family she would never recover What they didn't know was that Victoria was still there She could hear them understand them and remember everything Then one day she blinked twice for her mother and proved she had been there all along Victoria would go on to win Paralympic gold become a world record holder and broadcaster learn to walk after a decade [... more]

What if the companies in your portfolio are working against the values you're trying to live by For Christians investing is about more than pursuing financial returns Like every other financial decision investing can be viewed through the lens of stewardship asking not only How is my money growing but also What is my money supporting Faith-based investing seeks to bring those questions together Brian Mumbert president of Timothy Plan joined the show today to explain how faith-based investing works what research suggests about performance and how Christians can begin aligning their portfolios with biblical values What Is Faith-Based Investing [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Horst Schulze co-founder of Ritz-Carlton and author of Excellence Wins built his career around a simple idea every employee has the power to define an entire organization in the eyes of a customer Years ago before speaking to hundreds of managers at a Chicago bank Schulze decided to experience the bank's heavily advertised customer service for himself One encounter with a teller gave him a lesson he would repeat for the next fifteen years Schulze shares his simple formula for service excellence explains the difference between merely completing a transaction and earning a [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Elizabeth Jennings was on her way to church when a New York City streetcar conductor ordered her off She refused The conductor and driver forcibly dragged her from the car leaving her bloodied and bruised Jennings got back up and climbed aboard again The year was nearly years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery Alabama What followed was a court battle that would turn the city on its head and Jennings would turn to a young lawyer taking on one of his first cases future [... more]

years ago this month Chuck Colson started the Breakpoint commentary Two notable deaths this week Gloria Steinem and Wendell Berry And a new study suggests that our th graders are not alright Segment Years of Breakpoint and the Deaths of Gloria Steinem and Wendell Berry Beyond Strange Bedfellows The Genesis of Gender by Abigail Favale Segment Meta's Record Settlement Mental Health Crisis in Children Meta Settlement Mental Health study The Triumph of the Therapeutic by Philip RIEFF Segment Treating the Homeless Treatment First Policy Mobile Loaves and Fishes [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Leslie Leyland Fields flew from her home in Alaska to Indiana to spend two weeks beside her best friend Linda who was dying of stage IV ovarian cancer When it was finally time to leave Leslie believed they still had months together A week later she learned that Linda was nearing the end Then while Leslie was trying to make her way home a mechanical problem grounded her flight The delay gave the two friends something neither expected three final phone calls Leslie a regular contributor to Our American Stories and the author [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Jim McCloskey grew up in church but by adulthood he wanted nothing to do with the faith of his childhood He pursued the life he thought he wanted serving in the Navy working in Japan and building a successful career in international business Yet by his thirties Jim felt that something was missing He returned to church and eventually walked away from the corporate world for Princeton Theological Seminary Then a seminary assignment took him inside Trenton State Prison where a man serving a life sentence for murder insisted he was innocent Jim [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories when Thomas Jefferson died on July he left behind more than a legacy He also left a mountain of debt His family eventually sold Monticello and within years Jefferson's famous home had fallen into disrepair Then an unlikely preservationist stepped in Marc Leepson author of Saving Monticello The Levy Family's Epic Quest to Rescue the House That Jefferson Built shares the remarkable story of Uriah Phillips Levy the first Jewish commodore in the U S Navy and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy Across two generations the Levy family spent decades and a fortune [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's is often invisible work but not in this powerful account from Meryl Comer The Emmy-winning journalist opens up about her husband's early-onset Alzheimer's and the emotional journey of becoming his full-time caregiver Drawing from her memoir Slow Dancing with a Stranger she offers deeply personal insight into the daily realities of Alzheimer's care from the first signs of cognitive decline to the long road of loss resilience and unconditional love Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donateSee [... more]

This week on The Alex McFarland Show recorded live at NRB in Nashville Tennessee Alex welcomes special guest June Hunt for a powerful and inspiring conversation about forgiveness extending an olive branch and finding healing after we've been hurt June shares the deeply personal story of how God used her to help lead her father to Christ But before God transformed her father's heart He first began a transformative work in June's own heart Through her story June offers biblical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement about what it truly means to forgive extend grace and trust God with even the most [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories by the time Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office in March seven Southern states had already left the Union and formed the Confederate States of America Virginia and the rest of the Upper South were still deciding what to do Lincoln entered the presidency with no executive experience and a question hanging over the country Could the Union survive In Episode of our ongoing Story of Us Story of America series Hillsdale College professor Bill McClay author of Land of Hope shares the story of Lincoln's First Inaugural Address and his tumultuous [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories they wanted to serve their country but the U S military wouldn't let women fly its planes So in a remarkable group of American women crossed the Atlantic and joined Britain's Air Transport Auxiliary ferrying Spitfires bombers and battered aircraft between factories repair depots and frontline airfields Some arrived as stunt pilots and flying instructors Others were college graduates debutantes or women who had scraped together everything they had just to learn how to fly Their job was extraordinarily dangerous They could be handed an aircraft they'd never flown before and given little [... more]

Money is never just about money and work is never just about a paycheck Scripture teaches that God owns everything gives us the ability to earn and calls us to work with integrity because ultimately we serve Christ Howard Dayton Founder of Compass Financial Ministry and author of Business God's Way says those truths should shape not only how Christians manage money but how we earn it in the first place Remember Who You're Really Working For The foundation of biblical earning begins with recognizing that God owns everything and that He is ultimately the One we serve Colossians - [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Cliff Shiepe was working his dream job on the backlot of Disney when his body began to fail A series of unexplained fevers sent him from studio sets to his childhood bedroom where he would spend the next decade bedridden Doctors couldn't explain what was happening Most people would have given up Cliff didn't He leaned on his faith the unwavering care of his mother and a quiet hope that healing was still possible Cliff joins us to share his remarkable story Cliff's book is Cliff Falls The Missing Pieces Be sure to [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories William A Scott III went to war for a country that still treated him as a second-class citizen Drafted into the segregated U S Army in the young Morehouse College photographer served with an all-Black combat engineer battalion as Patton's Third Army pushed across Europe Then came an assignment Scott could never have prepared for Buchenwald Scott had seen Army films depicting Nazi atrocities and dismissed them as propaganda At Buchenwald he discovered they were horrifyingly real Camera in hand Scott began documenting what he saw until the depravity around him became almost [... more]

Please text us your thoughts on this episode We love hearing from you Gospel Blessings In this powerful series from Him We Proclaim Pastor John Fonville takes us deep into the heart of the gospel where astonishment meets assurance and where grace becomes the foundation for true obedience Whether it's the boy Jesus in the temple revealing His divine mission the Spirit's outpouring at Pentecost or the profound comfort found in the promises of the Good Shepherd each message unfolds the beauty and sufficiency of Christ Through passages in Luke John Romans Corinthians and more we explore the work of [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Fernando Arroyo knew exactly what he wanted to do after watching the September attacks unfold from his high school classroom Within weeks he enlisted in the U S Army and volunteered for the nd Airborne Division By Arroyo was fighting in Fallujah where his first combat mission ended with him killing an insurgent and confronting a question that would follow him home What kind of man had war made him After three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan Arroyo returned home carrying nightmares anger and a loss of purpose he couldn't escape Eventually [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Dr Seuss believed children could spot a sermon coming from a mile away That's why the author behind How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Lorax worked so carefully to give his stories moral weight without talking down to his young readers The Grinch reflected Seuss's own complicated relationship with consumerism after years spent working in advertising while The Lorax grew out of his anger over development around his California home and his belief that people had a responsibility to care for the world around them Brian Jay Jones author of Becoming Dr [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Andrew Thompson returns with more from his guide to the baffling mini-mysteries of the English language this time diving into how phrases like gung-ho and cheesy smile came to be His book Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red The Wonderful Origins of Everyday Expressions and Fun Phrases is full of these fascinating stories Be sure to check it out Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donate Support the show https www ouramericanstories com donateSee omnystudio com listener for privacy information [... more]

Reverse mortgages have carried a negative reputation for years especially among Christians who are cautious about debt But as with any financial tool faithful stewardship calls us to understand how it works before deciding whether it belongs in a financial plan Harlan Accola leads the reverse mortgage team at Movement Mortgage a FaithFi underwriter He joined the show today to explain why reverse mortgages remain controversial how today's Home Equity Conversion Mortgage HECM differs from older products and when it might play a useful role in retirement planning Why Are Christians Hesitant About Reverse Mortgages For many believers the hesitation [... more]

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a familiar picture two men building two houses One builds on rock The other builds on sand When the storms come only one house remains standing The difference isn't the weather Both houses face the storm The difference is the foundation That picture from Matthew offers a helpful way to think about our financial lives Job losses medical expenses market declines and unexpected bills eventually test every household The question is whether our financial lives are built on something strong enough to withstand them John Cortines a Family Office Advisor with Blue [... more]

How can you make your marriage stronger more loving and more resilient Find out on this summer best-of Building Relationships with Dr Gary Chapman Author and speaker Dr Greg Smalley will tackle the lies about marriage that are rampant in the culture Ideas such as You must meet each other's needs and One plus one equals one What's the problem with those statements Don't miss Building Relationships with Dr Gary Chapman Featured resource Lies That Will Destroy Your Marriage And the Truths That Will Save It and Set It Free Donate to Moody Radio http moodyradio org donateto buildingrelationshipsSee omnystudio [... more]

The tragic case of Cambridge professor Jason Arday reveals much that is wrong in today's higher education And how certain are you about your belief in God Segment Jason Arday The Rot in Higher Ed Alex Berenson Substack UM Skipping Letter Grades Segment Shaky Belief in God Ryan Burge on Belief Segment Questions Sidewalks in the Kingdom New Urbanism and the Christian Faith The Christian Practice of Everyday Life by Eric O Jacobsen and Eugene H Peterson Arthru Brooks article on Bumble [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories Benjamin Rush signed the Declaration of Independence but politics was only one part of his extraordinary life A physician by profession and reformer by temperament Rush treated Philadelphia's poor when other doctors wouldn't demanded humane treatment for the mentally ill fought slavery championed public education and followed George Washington's army into battle to care for wounded soldiers His work would help lay the foundations for American psychiatry military medicine and even veterinary care Harlow Giles Unger author of Dr Benjamin Rush The Founding Father Who Healed a Wounded Nation shares the remarkable story [... more]

ESG investing promises to align your portfolio with your values But an important question remains Whose values are shaping the standards Environmental social and governance ratings are often presented as measures of corporate responsibility Yet the assumptions behind those ratings may not always align with biblical convictions Nick Schmitz Professor of Finance at The Catholic University of America and a Board Member of the Christian Investing Council CIC joined the show today to explain the differences between ESG and faith-based investing and why Christians should pay attention not only to what they own but also to how their shares are [... more]

Risk is unavoidable in investing and in life But not all risks deserve equal attention It is easy to focus primarily on the probability that something will happen If an investment career move or financial strategy has a high likelihood of succeeding we may assume it is a good decision But Mark Biller Executive Editor at Sound Mind Investing suggests another question may be even more important If things go wrong how wrong could they go That shift from focusing on probabilities to considering consequences can help us make wiser financial decisions and protect ourselves from risks that could permanently [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories as a teenager walking to school in Manhattan Theodore Schwartz stopped to help a stranger whose car was trapped in the snow The feeling he got from helping someone who could offer him nothing in return stayed with him He decided he wanted to spend his life doing exactly that He eventually became one of America's leading neurosurgeons operating on thousands of brain tumors and making decisions where a fraction of an inch can separate a cure from catastrophe Dr Theodore Schwartz author of Gray Matters A Biography of Brain Surgery takes us [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories they were Americans by birth but treated as outsiders when the war began After Pearl Harbor many Japanese Americans were sent to camps under suspicion of aiding the enemy Yet from those same camps came volunteers who joined the U S Army determined to prove their loyalty Known as the Nisei these second-generation Japanese Americans fought in Europe's bloodiest battles and helped redefine what it meant to be American Major General James Mukoyama the first Asian American to command a U S Army division shares the story of these remarkable men in his [... more]

Long-term care isn't just a health issue It can become a major financial and family decision Most of us hope we'll never need extended care but wise stewardship means preparing for possibilities before they become a crisis And while long-term care insurance may be part of that preparation the first step isn't necessarily buying a policy It's having a plan Nathan Sanow President of LTC Consumer and MasterCare LLC has spent more than two decades helping individuals and families navigate long-term care planning He says the most important place to begin is understanding what would happen if you or someone [... more]

On this episode of Our American Stories before the Civil War thousands of Southern men joined a secret society complete with castles passwords elaborate oaths medieval costumes and dreams of conquest They called themselves the Knights of the Golden Circle and beneath all the pageantry was a serious ambition expand slavery by building a vast new empire across Mexico Central America and the Caribbean Mark Kawar author of America but Bigger and David C Keehn author of Knights of the Golden Circle Secret Empire Southern Secession Civil War share the strange story of the organization that ultimately discovered that dreaming [... more]

In the mid-19th century, the idea of Manifest Destiny drove Americans to expand their territory, leading to the rise of filibusters like William Walker, who attempted to conquer Nicaragua and create a new American-led republic. Walker's story is one of ambition, power struggles, and the complexities of American expansionism in Central America. [... more]

The COVID pandemic highlighted the need for Christians to exercise critical thinking and discernment in the face of deception and lies. Christians must be prepared to question authority and challenge false narratives, even when they come from trusted sources. The Bible teaches that Christians are to be ready to defend their faith and to seek answers, rather than simply asking questions. In the context of the COVID pandemic, Christians were faced with conflicting information and conflicting narratives, and they must be equipped to navigate these complexities and to make informed decisions. The Bible teaches that Christians are to be discerning and to test all things, and that they are to be guided by the truth of Scripture. [... more]

Jennifer Rothschild shares her riveting story of doubts and questions that shook her faith, and how she found hope and wellness in Christ despite her physical blindness. She discusses the importance of trusting God's character, being patient with oneself and others, and not seeking answers but rather a deeper relationship with God. [... more]

During World War II, a woman named Laura Margolis worked tirelessly to help Jewish refugees trapped in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, facing numerous challenges and obstacles along the way. With her determination and resourcefulness, she was able to create a new kitchen facility and help feed thousands of people, earning her recognition as a hero of the Jewish community. [... more]