A Living Faith?

A living faith. What is a living faith? Why is a living faith important and how do you know if you have it? Come with me on a little journey as we explore what faith is and how a living faith changes your life for time and eternity. “Are you a person of faith?” There have been occasions when I have asked this question of someone with whom I’ve been having a deep discussion. Do you know the kind of answer I generally get? People typically answer by telling me […]

What Is Your FQ?

What is your FQ? You have an intelligence quotient (IQ). You also have an emotional quotient (EQ). Some folks are emotionally smart, in addition to being very intelligent.   For years we’ve heard that women are more emotionally intelligent than men, we’ll save that discussion for another day. Here’s a neat article, if you want to learn more about IQ and EQ. https://www.ctnewsonline.com/news/faith/article_36597602-cfe5-11eb-b35b-5f468e1b3832.html  While these are important quotients, a good case can be made that your FQ is more essential than either of these to live well in these challenging times. […]

Risk vs. Reward

About twenty years ago Cecelia and I were blessed with Anna Katherine (A.K.), the first of our four grandchildren. Wanting to do something for her and others who might follow to enjoy, I built a sturdy structure for a swing close to the creek that runs through our property. What a great idea and what a wonderful return on the time and money I spent to construct the swing!  That swing has witnessed lots of laughs and screams as A.K. and the three grandsons have enjoyed it through the years. […]

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 […]

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 […]

Not Guilty

The guilt or innocence of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is in the hands of twelve jurors. Chauvin, as you know, has been charged with the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. The jury’s task is to listen to witnesses, weigh the facts, and decide the innocence or guilt of Mr. Chauvin. The verdict will determine this man’s fate, a judgment that is likely to be unpopular no matter which way it goes. Courtroom or legal words such as judgment, guilty, and innocent are part of the […]