It’s that wonderful season of the year when the weather has finally warmed enough that the patio becomes a mini retreat site. I frequently find myself there early in the morning for some quiet time of reading, meditation, and prayer. We often return in the evening to read, talk, or…
Have you noticed how holidays end up becoming something other than originally intended? Pick one, and think about it. How about Thanksgiving. For how many Americans is the fourth Thursday of November set aside to give thanks to God for the blessings of the past year—life, health, provision, protection…? How…
Spring, finally, has sprung. Two weeks ago, it seemed as if it’d never get here! The last couple of months have been cooler than normal, and I believe cloudier, too. Tree buds opened late. Flowers have delayed their blooming. Garden planting has been put off. I’ve only mowed the lawn…
I had a good mom. A really good mom. So good, in fact, I didn’t know how good she was until years after I was out of the home with young adult kids of my own. As I watched the kids and their moms at church last Sunday—Mother’s Day—it occurred…
Should you find yourself at the visitor’s center in Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia, it may seem quite odd that just outside the building hangs a scale from one of the support beams. Then again, if you’re at that particular park, you would likely be aware that it’s…
Several weeks ago, I wrote about a would-be camping trip that went seriously awry—we barely made it out of the driveway with camper in tow when the car’s bumper gave way. I think that was the last straw, camping-wise, for our family. I recall four other attempts at a fun…
It was the Spring of ’63 or ’64 at my Grandma K’s house in Avon Lake, Ohio. Not sure why, but if I recall correctly, my brother and I were staying with her for a few days. Perhaps it was 1963, and mom had reached the midpoint in her pregnancy…
After my recent episode at the end of a Sunday morning service (I wrote about it last week), it was decided I needed a break. At first, I balked at the word “need.” I mean, a vacation is always nice, but need suggests some kind of deficiency. When I got…
Since I’m a pastor, Sunday mornings are a bit…busy…for me. They start early, and all my attention centers on the teaching and preaching responsibilities coming in the next few hours. A couple of Sundays ago, I got up with my stomach rumbling a little. “Growling,” I told myself. I was…
Ever had that possibly awkward experience of a proud grandparent saying, “Hold on, I’ve got a picture!” That used to be followed up with grandpa pulling out his wallet or grandma rifling through her purse to find hers so they could show you a picture of a grandchild. Perhaps the…
