Photo by bummy2810 via Flikr  “It’s so cold that the snowman knocked on the front door and asked to sleep on the couch” Now, that’s funny. Cold hearts. Frozen bank accounts. Chilled relationships. Now, that’s serious. “Out of the south comes the storm, And out of the north the cold.From the breath of God ice is made, And the expanse of the waters is frozen.-Job 37:9-10 (NASB) Now, that’s harsh reality. “Curious,” said my pastor friend Jim Walters, “that this... Read more

I’m working on my resume for God. He didn’t ask for it and it might be a silly exercise. But I want to be ready, just in case God needs it. Date of birth. Well he knows that. I better not fudge the date. The trend is toward younger people these days, but there’s no getting around this one. Education. I did go to some school. But I basically a quitter and the list of higher learning institutions are long... Read more

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Take a step back, look at the world around us and be amazed. I am firmly entrenched in middle age, but am stunned at the progress just in my time. For my mother, 80-years young, I can’t even imagine what goes through her mind as the dizzying Information Age swirls around her. Photo via Flickr by * Honest * My life is with high-tech devices and sattelite images and instant communications. Data fills my desktops, the  airwaves, the cable systems and... Read more

“Man, it’s cold,” I heard the man with the frosty beard say, while he stomps his feet and pulls hiw coat up all the way to his ears. “Yup,” Nick Wilson nods. “Barometers down. Cold as hell.” Image by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center via Flickr I chuckle silently at the irony, the disparate contradiction of the description. But I agreed. It was cold. As I shoveled off the walk and threw salt like feed to the chickens, my breath... Read more

Blink. Screech. Slam. Where am I? What happened? It was over before I knew it started. Headed to the store. Or was it work. I don’t remember. Where was I going? Where am I?Kids in the car? No. Good.  Everything, slow motion. Dream-like.  Puffy latex balloon pressing against my chest. Puff of smoke from the explosion makes me nauseous. Or was it the impact? Or my breakfast? Sharp shards of glass in my hair. Fingers. Check. Toes. Check. Salty taste... Read more

It had been a long day. Deadlines. A demanding boss. Angry phone calls. And the minute I came home, everyone tensed up. They knew something was wrong. At the first cross word out of my mouth, everyone scattered, suddenly finding “urgent” things to do in other rooms. Photo by David Rupert Those who know me see both sides of this passionate personality. I can be a load of fun when I’m on, and a real drag when I’m off-center. But there’s really... Read more

The drama of the 33 Chilean miners trapped last fall was riveting. Imagine the moment when the last battery pack went dead, draining the last remnants of hope. Desperation, anguish and anxiety hung in the dank air.  It took more than two weeks, but rescuers punched a small hole into the cavern, and the men were eventually pulled out one-by-one. One miner, who at 63 was the eldest of the survivors, passed on this bit of wisdom to his grandchildren: “Never... Read more

Last week I wrote about the writer’s dilemma. In summary, we dance this line between writing what’s on our heart and writing what someone will read. I concluded in the piece that we should just write for an “Audience of One” and ignore the applause, dismiss the comments, and not listen to the praise.This principle, I thought, could be applied to preachers and teachers, singers and poets, sculptors and dancers. It could apply to housework, homework or yardwork. The feedback I... Read more