What Momma Said

  While shopping in a big box store recently I was assisted by an elderly man named Bob. He was very helpful, friendly, and brimming with stories about his life. This type of encounter can make the task of shopping more enjoyable for me, so I listened, and listened, and listened until I left the parking lot.  One of the things he told me about was the wild side of his life as a pro wrestler for several years. He described this period as living on the dark side of […]

Do You Remember?

What do you do to help you remember the important things you want to get done?  I get so busy at times that I don’t remember where I put something. For example, several years ago while working on a project in the garage, I lost a knife Dad gave me. Later, I realized this important gift was missing but had no idea where it was. Several years later, I reached for something on top of the water heater and there it was!! I had not remembered putting it there. I […]

Is God in the Details?

  There is an old cautionary statement related to contracts and business transactions that says, “The devil is in the details.” I take this to mean we need to read and understand the contingencies related to the deal we are making before we sign our name to the paper. In the housing crisis a decade ago lots of people lost their houses because they didn’t pay attention to the fact their sub-prime loan rate would change, resulting in much higher mortgage payments. The devil was in the details. I don’t […]

That’s Gratitude for You

  If you read last week’s blog you will recall my story about my frustration with birds pooping on the swing I use for meditating and resting from yard work. I am happy to report the spike board I put above the swing is working! I have not cut the tree from which I was “spotted” but neither have I suffered a repeat of being personally assaulted by the ungrateful creature that pooped on me. By the way, the spot on my blue pants will not come out. Every time […]

Dealing With Disappointment

For the past several days I have been dealing with a major disappointment related to the book I’ve been working on for almost three years. About a year ago I made contact with an agent I had a good feeling about and we hit it off really well. He liked my idea and was very helpful and encouraging in the early days of the work. We were excited and shared hope and an expectation about getting the book published. Everything was going well, and then life happened. This man became […]

Longing for the “Good Ole Days”

While considering what to share with you today I ran across a piece of commentary by Paul Harvey (1919-2009). Harvey was the guest speaker at my graduation from Belmont in 1966 but is better- known for his radio broadcasts for over a half-century. He specialized in telling “The Rest of The Story.” He took the basics of a news event or story and  went behind the scene to explain the extraordinary details of human sacrifice and compassion which were not part of the news; thus, “The Rest of the Story.” […]

Is God Good?

  Is God good? Does your answer to that question depend on the mood you are in or the particular circumstances you are confronting? It is very easy to say, “God is so good” when everything is going your way. If you have your health, enough money to pay your bills, and your family relationships are in pretty good shape, you may have no difficulty in saying “praise God from whom all blessings flow.”  But, what do you think about God when troubles come and your life seems to be […]

Thinking About God

 Small god or Big God? Good God or Mean god? Weak god or Strong God? Have you given much thought to how you think about God and the effect that has on your emotions, your outlook on life, and how you live? How do you answer the three sets of questions above? Why does it matter what you think about God? It matters because your god or God is your ultimate source of authority, what or who matters most in your life. Your values and the way you live are […]

Worth Fighting For

This blog is written on May 31, 2021, Memorial Day. This particular date is important to me for a couple of reasons. First, it is a federal holiday set aside to honor the countless men and women who have died in battle to gain or preserve the freedoms we so often take for granted. In the year 1969, Memorial Day was on Saturday, May 31; a day that forever changed my life. It seems that anything worth having in life will cost us something. Let me tell you what I […]

Who Are You Trying to Please?

I believe we are in a cultural war that will determine the future of our country. Forces of hell are working to change the very nature of our society in several different ways. Evil is behind this effort in high places in government, schools, powerful corporations, and many media outlets to replace the Christian principles that undergird our constitution and way of life. They are inciting hate and division which can ultimately destroy us. Those who participate in these activities have a plan based on lies and use intimidation, and […]