Devotionals

He rose from his seat and scampered to the door to answer an unexpected call. What he heard next would change his life forever: “Mom’s not breathing.”
 

Dad was a master disciplinarian with a large repertoire of maneuvers. Among them, his favorite…a haircut.
 

Bundles of paperwork…bucoodles of signatures…all necessities of modern-day purchases...all compulsory items to ensure I honor my word.
 

Though cute snuggled in his “den,” approaching too closely will uncover bared teeth, a bark, and-if necessary, a sharp crunch on the finger.
 

Our Chihuahua demonstrates perfectly the traits of the breed-possessive, selfish, habitual, loving to friends but vicious toward anyone intervening in his cozy world. Burrowing is also one of his habits. Whether underneath the bed covers, beneath his favorite blanket, or buried in a throw, he loves to snuggle and be covered while doing it. But his den quickly becomes iniquitous when invaded.
 

Except for a few who were owned by compassionate masters, it was a wretched existence.
 

Around 12 million Africans were shipped to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries-the majority going to sugar plantations in the West Indies or Brazil and the remainder to what is presently the United States. The 1860 United States Census shows the slave population at four million with roughly one in four families in the slave states owning slaves.