As a small child in a small school in a small town, life was simple. Except when the old nuns from Switzerland who taught us insisted each year at Christmas that we learn to sing “O Christmas Tree.” The problem was not with the song, but with the insistence on the sisters’ part that second… Continue reading O Christmas Tree
Stop and Think
“For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24.42) A “Dennis the Menace” comic from years back shows Dennis sitting on Santa’s lap. Other kids are waiting their turn, while Dennis’ mother is on the side, surely wondering what he is about to say to Santa, since she knows better… Continue reading Stop and Think
A Litany of Thanksgiving
Great Spirit, giver of the heavens and the earth, of the skies and the seas, and all that is in them, We come to you with gratitude for the plenitude of your gifts, too many to number, so many overlooked, just as many taken for granted. While we thank you for the beauty of the… Continue reading A Litany of Thanksgiving
The Opposite of Saving Yourself
“If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” (Luke 23.37) As he waited for his wife to come out of the office where she worked, his eagerness to call it a day apparent in his face, the not-old, but not-young man used the minutes to wipe off the water from his new black… Continue reading The Opposite of Saving Yourself
Let It Snow!
My mom was a winter person. I am not. Whereas she looked upon winter as the time of year when everything good happens—such as snowmen, Christmas carols, and arctic temperatures—I still look upon winter much the same as a smart bear would. When the weatherman forecasts the first warning of frost, I eat a big… Continue reading Let It Snow!
The Mulberry Tree
A tall mulberry tree old as the hills stood alongside a curve in the road to tell us young boys we were on the home stretch. The tree signaled to us, standing watch like a sentinel in the night, as we walked past it on our way back from the river. Over the years, and… Continue reading The Mulberry Tree
Apocalypse Now — Not the Movie
“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” (Luke 21.9) In 1979, the respected movie director, Francis Ford Coppola, released an epic film starring some of the biggest names in Hollywood, such as Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and… Continue reading Apocalypse Now — Not the Movie
Hang ‘Em Out to Dry
My mom never had a pedometer until late in life. By the time someone gave her a Fitbit, she was worn out from all the steps she had taken in her life. In her day, people didn’t need a watch on their wrist to remind them to walk a certain number of steps each day.… Continue reading Hang ‘Em Out to Dry
Yesterday or Tomorrow?
When time travel arrives, and you can choose to go backwards or forwards in time, which one will you take--yesterday or tomorrow? While the question is hypothetical, still it is something you may want to consider. Really, give it some thought as you do your workout on the treadmill or as you fight the commute… Continue reading Yesterday or Tomorrow?
Seven Husbands
“They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.” (Luke 20.36) I once knew a woman who had seven ex-husbands. Also, a current one. Not only did she have all those men in her life, she had a good… Continue reading Seven Husbands
Sunday Brunch 