Familiarity is everywhere today. Most people ignore the formalities that once governed our interactions. The generation previous to mine felt a real need to keep those ‘rules.’ My Dad wouldn’t have stepped into church without a dark suit and a… Continue reading

James Thurber gave us the short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  A man with a most mundane life drives his wife into town for her weekly shopping and visit to the beauty parlor.  He slips into a daydream… Continue reading

Over the years I’ve read dozens of self-help books.  Andy Stanley teaches me how to be a visionary leader.  James Dobson informs me about being a good parent.  Dozens of writers offer suggestions for leading a church.  Many rehash the… Continue reading

Today we remember hatred and zealotry for an evil cause.  9/11/01 is a day of death and destruction from which began a cycle of the same.  Who’s celebrating?  The Evil One who hates you, and me, and life, and light!… Continue reading

Americans are notoriously footloose. They restlessly seek a new place, a new opportunity. “Elbow room,” says Daniel Boone as he moves on, so goes the story.  The average American family moves every 5 to 7 years, looking for a better… Continue reading

Few things are worse than being alone! Every problem looks bigger when faced without a friend. Working on a task with a team makes the work much less tedious; the results so much better. At our church yesterday, I watched… Continue reading

Making beautiful things While pulling out some dead vegetation and getting rid of weeds I whistled a tune. “You make beautiful things… out of the dust.”  Why? Because I was thinking what a privilege it was to be able to… Continue reading

The “Duck Dynasty” phenomenon sweeping the US has introduced a new phrase, said with a Louisiana drawl – “happy, happy, happy.”  Phil, the patriarch of the family, deals with life’s trials by encouraging his clan to be happy. The self-described… Continue reading

It was my day off. The lawn was mowed, household chores complete, car maintenance finished, and I was growing anxious.  I paced, flipped through a book, looked at magazine. Then, I realized I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. From what?… Continue reading

A few weeks ago, I asked a young man to mow my lawn after I was ill.  He hurried through the job.  He left areas untouched, the trimming half-done, and sped through the rest. It was ‘mowed,’ but not like… Continue reading