In my area, fall seemed to arrive all at once. Temperatures fell at night into the 50s, something luxurious at any time. Days grow shorter. For some reason, life has a lift in its step. Different locations have favorite seasons. Minnesotans look forward to spring to thaw out from winter’s dark. But in Texas, fall quenches nature’s blast furnace. In 1968, the [...]
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row. That nursery rhyme from 1744 is not merely a verse recited by children but also guidance for grownups. How does your garden grow? That depends on many things. Over 30 years ago, I discovered an exercise developed by Bobb Biehl. [...]
Have you ever gotten lost? I remember once I was in Vilnius, Lithuania. I had gone for a walk, but after about 30 minutes, I realized I did not know exactly where I was. The signs were all in Lithuanian. You couldn’t stop someone because I knew less Lithuanian than they understood English. Finally, after about another 30 minutes, I saw something [...]
When our children were young, we read books to them as they went to bed. I remember some. But one that always stuck out in my mind was the book. There's a Monster Under My Bed. It wasn't about monsters. It was about something much more grown up....fear. We all have fears of various sorts. Some fear crowds. Some fear snakes. Those [...]
I am sure you have taken notice of a quiet and disturbing trend. America and Americans have become more negative. People no longer debate but degrade. We throw verbal rocket-propelled grenades at our opponents, thinking we score points with every hit. Our political leaders on both sides want to outdo each other for their arrogance and pure acidic exchanges. And we don’t [...]
In the ministry, I have learned a central lesson. When you are too busy, that’s the week you have a funeral. For many, tomorrow is their supposed salvation. I will always have enough time tomorrow. Diets always begin “tomorrow.” Students will study for the exam “tomorrow.” I will set up a retirement account “tomorrow.” And, tomorrow never arrives. Ignoring the crucial breeds [...]
The hamster has nothing on me. We share a common experience. I had a friend who owned a hamster. The fascinating creature ate, slept...and one more thing. It ran on a wheel. The little legs hustled without destination. Around and around the wheel went. The hamster got off long enough to eat and sleep. Then, it was back to the wheel. I [...]
When I was a boy, I visited our grandparents in California. My grandmother had a bunch of old clothes that she wanted my father to look through. One that elicited most of my interest was his Navy uniform. I asked him about it. Were you really in the Navy? Did you sail on a ship? He answered yes to both questions, so [...]
Who is your worst enemy? James, who is reputed to be the brother of Jesus and a writer of a New Testament letter, knew the answer. In his letter, he spent a lot of his time on a single topic--what we do with our mouths. He compares man’s tongue to a raging fire, out of control. One remedy is to treat it [...]
Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect? In 1963, Edward Lorenz, an American mathematician and meteorologist, advanced an odd theory. Does weather change from small, unseen events? He said that the flap of a butterfly’s wing could move a tiny amount of air which would interact with other air. As molecule upon molecule accumulated, it would eventually start a hurricane on [...]
