The movie 1917 portrays a war fought far before the births of all but centenarians. While some critics (who gain their title honestly) panned the movie, I found it a compelling story about courage, loyalty, and duty, three dying virtues in 21st century America. But what captured my attention came at the end when the action finished. As the credits rolled, a [...]
Listen to the words: Silent night! holy night! all is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and Child, holy Infant, so tender and mild—sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night holy night! shepherds quake at the sight; glories stream from heaven afar; heav’nly hosts sing alleluia—Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born! Silent night! [...]
Every person hears a question knock on life’s door. Frustration gives it birth and mortality provides its cry. “Did I make any difference?” In the infancy of television, Rod Serling, a gravel-throated man with a dagger-like stare, produced a series called The Twilight Zone. Most of the episodes had a twinge of science fiction. It introduced young William Shatner and [...]
This is the Thanksgiving season. Usually, that means wedging a quick "what I am thankful for" between bites of turkey and dressing and kickoff. We know better. No one I know wants to be thought of as an "ingrate," that horrible creature who does not recognize the good things in our lives. Yet, we put together a day to "count our blessings" [...]
The year 1955 seems like a watershed year. The Eastern Bloc formed a military alliance deepening the tensions of the Cold War. A tired little woman in Birmingham refused to give up her seat for a bullying bus driver. The boycott that followed was the push of a row of domino called the Civil Rights movement. America made its first commitment to [...]
An adage reminds us to "keep the main thing, the main thing." Andrew Luck realized what the "main thing" was. Luck is a phenomenal football player. With a father who quarterbacked in the National Football League, Luck seemed anointed at birth to handle a pigskin. He did and did it quite well. He played his college football at Stanford. As an All-American, [...]
Every May, graduates hear the famous, rich, and prominent give commencement speeches. Most sound alike. The foundation of all is “be successful.” The definition of success is like quicksilver. When you think you have it, it disappears. What do most people consider success? To the writer, it is the New York Times bestseller list. Make that list, and you’ve made [...]
Are we stuck? We struggle with traffic snarls. Where man once ventured to the moon within a decade, we quarrel and sit on our hands. Few write. Speeches reach a new level of nonsense with every wasted word. The world lurches into an uncertain future. We have evolved into hamsters making a wheel going nowhere. David McCullough latest book chronicles an American [...]
You are not rich enough to buy cheap shoes. In a recent renovation, we bought a rug from a man who taught a lesson in value. It was not just about rugs. He described growing up in Iran as an apprentice farmer. It was not long before he knew he needed some work boots. The problem is he had little money. His [...]
Fanny Crosby wrote church hymns…over 8000 of them. Titles trickle through memories with ease. They include Pass Me Not and Blessed Assurance. With such a gift and exuberance for words of hope, you would assume, Crosby lived a charmed life. And you would be wrong. She lived most of her life in darkness. When she was 6 weeks old, she caught [...]
