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On June 23, 1683, William Penn signed a remarkable treaty with the Lenni Lenape people of Pennsylvania—a peace agreement built not on force or fear, but on mutual respect and trust. Penn believed God's law was already written on the human heart.

Nearly two centuries later, on June 23, 1868, Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for an invention that would change the way ideas travel through the world: the typewriter.

One man used words to build peace. Another built a machine that would carry words across generations.

Together, their stories point us back to an ancient promise from Jeremiah: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts."

Join us as we explore treaties, typewriters, Quakers, keyboards, and the grace that is often written into the world long before it is written on a page.

Scripture: Jeremiah 31:33

Hymn: "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind" by John Greenleaf Whittier

Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.

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The Run-On Sentence of Grace

This may be the longest sentence we’ve ever attempted on Scattered Moments.

A breathless list of all the things we use to measure ourselves—and each other: weight, IQ, credit score, parenting success, athletic ability, Facebook friends, square footage, the size of your boat, the shine on your floor, and about a hundred other things that seem important until they aren’t.

The good news?

God’s love isn’t hanging on any of them.

Not your résumé. Not your failures. Not your reputation. Not your best day. Not your worst day.

In this short reflection, Matt Tullos explores the wonderfully unfair, gloriously liberating truth that God’s acceptance is rooted in His grace, not our performance.

Because God loves whom He loves—and He has never needed our permission.

Take a deep breath. The sentence may run on forever, but grace gets to the point.

⸻

#ScatteredMoments #Grace #Gospel #ChristianPodcast #Faith #Mercy #GodsLove #Hope #ChristianLiving

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On June 22, 1714, Matthew Henry died on the road at fifty-one — thrown from his horse, laid down in a stranger's house, his great commentary on Scripture unfinished. His last words: "A life spent in the service of God and communion with him is the most comfortable and pleasant life anyone can live." Thirteen men finished the work after he was gone.

On June 22, 1750, Jonathan Edwards was fired from his Northampton congregation — 230 votes to 23, after twenty-three years of ministry. He received the shock unshaken, went to a frontier mission outpost, and wrote what many consider the greatest work of theology ever produced on American soil.

Both men left work they couldn't finish. Both trusted that faithfulness in their portion was enough.

Today's Moments Almanac sits with that truth.

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:7–8 | Hymn: "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," Isaac Watts (1719)

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On June 21, 1892, Reinhold Niebuhr was born.

Though some of his theology remains a matter of debate among evangelical Christians, his influence on American religious thought is impossible to ignore. More than anything else, he is remembered for a simple prayer written during the turmoil of the twentieth century—words that would find their way into church bulletins, hospital rooms, recovery groups, and countless hearts:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

In today's Moments Almanac, we explore the story behind the Serenity Prayer and the enduring need for courage, humility, and wisdom in a world we cannot fully control.

Scripture: James 1:5

Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.

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On June 20, Moments Almanac remembers two missionary milestones separated by five years and thousands of miles.

In 1880, Samuel Robbins Brown, one of the first American missionaries to Japan, died after a lifetime of faithful service. His work in education and discipleship helped shape a generation during a pivotal season in Japan's history.

Then, in 1885, Moravian missionaries arrived in Alaska and established the Bethel Mission, carrying the Gospel to one of the most remote frontiers in North America.

Together, these stories remind us that God's Kingdom often advances through ordinary acts of obedience. One generation plants. Another waters. God gives the increase.

Featuring Acts 1:8 and a stanza from Isaac Watts' "Jesus Shall Reign," this episode reflects on what it means to follow Christ to the ends of the earth—and how our own mission field may be closer than we think.

Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.

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A Guided Meditation on Isaiah 40:31

Life has a way of draining us. Responsibilities pile up. Worries linger. Even faithful hearts can grow weary.

In this guided meditation, we slow down and rest in one of Scripture's most beloved promises:

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..." — Isaiah 40:31

Through gentle reflection, prayerful pauses, and the calming truth of God's Word, you'll be invited to release your burdens, breathe deeply, and remember that your strength does not come from striving—it comes from the Lord.

Whether you're ending a long day, beginning a quiet morning, or simply seeking a moment of peace, this meditation offers space to rest in God's presence and receive His renewing grace.

How to Use This Meditation:
• Find a quiet place where you can relax without interruption.
• Listen with headphones if possible.
• Allow your breathing to slow naturally.
• Don't rush through the silence—let it become part of the prayer.
• If your mind wanders, gently return your attention to God's promises.

Today, may you find fresh strength for the journey ahead.

"They shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.

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On June 19, 1865, freedom arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the reading of General Order No. 3, announcing that enslaved people were free. More than two centuries earlier, on June 19, 1623, Blaise Pascal was born—a brilliant scientist, mathematician, and Christian thinker who spent his life exploring the mysteries of the human heart.

In this episode of Moments Almanac, we reflect on two kinds of freedom: freedom proclaimed and freedom discovered. From the celebration of Juneteenth to Pascal's search for truth, we are reminded that while chains may bind the body, only Christ can truly set the soul free.

Featuring:
• The story of Juneteenth
• The life and faith of Blaise Pascal
• The spiritual "There Is a Balm in Gilead"
• John 8:36

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.

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Scattered Moments — Moments Almanac | June 18
Held Up

June 18 carries two stories four centuries apart — and they say the same thing.

In 1546, a twenty-five-year-old woman named Anne Askew was convicted of heresy in London for believing what most Baptists believe about communion. She was racked in the Tower of London, carried to the stake on a chair because she could no longer walk, and burned. She never recanted. She never gave up a name. And from her prison cell she wrote words of pure worship — thou art my delight.

In 1956, Dawson Trotman — founder of The Navigators — drowned at Schroon Lake, New York, while holding a young woman above water until the boat came back. Billy Graham preached his funeral and said, "Daws died the same way he lived — holding others up."

Two lives. Two deaths. One posture.

Today's scripture: John 15:13

Take heart. Notice the scattered moments. Share the grace.