About Miscellany

Miscellany is a collection of writings, resources, projects, and observations drawn from the varied interests that occupy my work and life: Christian faith, theology, technology, history, genealogy, communications, and dogs.

The name is intentional. A miscellany is a gathering of different kinds of material—essays, notes, discoveries, instructions, reflections, and useful things that do not always fit neatly into a single category. That is what this site is meant to be.

Here you may find an article about Lutheran theology alongside a guide to self-hosted software, an update to an open-source project, a reflection on church history, a genealogical discovery, or an account of life with English Springer Spaniels.

About the author

I am the Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III, a Lutheran pastor with longstanding interests in theology, history, communications, technology, digital publishing, genealogy, and dogs.

Much of my work has involved translating complex subjects into forms that are clear, useful, and accessible. That same purpose guides this site. I enjoy exploring the relationship between inherited wisdom and newer tools, especially when they can serve the Church, preserve history, improve communication, or solve a practical problem.

I also develop and document open-source applications, self-hosted services, liturgical resources, podcast and audio tools, and other projects that may be useful to pastors, congregations, developers, hobbyists, and curious readers.

Dogs and Three Doves

Together with my wife, Terra, I am involved with Three Doves, our home and breeding program for spaniels.

Our life with dogs includes responsible breeding, puppy raising, training, conformation, hunt and retriever work, obedience, rally, agility, scent work, therapy work, and other performance and companion activities. Dogs have become more than a pastime for us; they are a continuing source of learning, friendship, responsibility, and joy.

Articles specifically devoted to our dogs, litters, training experiences, and breeding program can be found at three-doves.com.

Genealogy and family history

I also have a deep interest in genealogy and the preservation of family history.

The Collver Family History Project traces the descendants of Edward Colver through the Rev. Jabez Collver, my fifth great-grandfather, and onward to the present day. The project brings together genealogical records, biographies, family documents, photographs, historical sources, and stories that might otherwise be lost.

That work can be found at history.collver.biz.

Genealogy is not merely a collection of names and dates. It is an effort to understand how individual lives were shaped by migration, faith, family, hardship, vocation, and the larger events of their time.

What you will find here

The subjects on Miscellany vary, but most articles fall within several broad areas:

• Faith and theology — Lutheran teaching, Scripture, worship, liturgical resources, and church life.
• Technology — open-source software, Docker, self-hosting, artificial intelligence, macOS, and practical computing.
• Media and communication — podcasting, audio restoration, video production, websites, and digital publishing.
• History and genealogy — church history, family history, historical documents, biographies, and archival discoveries.
• Dogs and breeding — spaniels, responsible breeding, puppy development, training, performance sports, and life with dogs.
• Projects and experiments — software updates, installation guides, works in progress, and lessons learned.

Some articles are reflective. Some are highly practical. Others simply preserve a discovery or record a solution so that it will be easier to find the next time someone encounters the same question.

Why subscribe?

Subscribing is the easiest way to receive new articles by email without relying on social-media feeds or changing algorithms.

There is no fixed publishing schedule. New material appears when there is something worth sharing: a completed project, a useful discovery, a theological reflection, a technical guide, a genealogical find, or an experience worth recording.

Thank you for reading, exploring, and following along.

Questions, comments, and correspondence may be sent to: miscellany@collver.biz.

Faith · Technology · History · Genealogy · Dogs · Projects