Some old Disney movies contain surprising lessons. One in particular comes to mind. The evil queen in Snow White exhibited an overbearing personality that belied her lack of self-confidence. Maleficent depended on a magic mirror to stroke her ego, requiring perpetual updates to support her sense of self-importance. Each morning she approached the looking glass …
One difficulty in learning to drive is getting the hang of how to yield. Having helped teach six teens to drive, I can tell you that coaching others to “read” the traffic is tricky. (And while I could share some white knuckle stories from those days, those now-licensed young drivers could just as easily tell …
I’m not much of a foodie or a fashionista. My cooking style could be described as, “Throw it in a pot and see what happens!” And my fashion sense might be laughable to those “in the know.” Yet these are popular trends in modern culture. So it’s a good thing John the Baptist is no …
Do you have a dramatic egg story? I do! One day I wanted a nice, hot, hard boiled egg. Fortunately, I’d boiled and peeled a few eggs the day before and stored them in the fridge. Now, I reasoned, all I needed to do was heat one up. And the quickest way involved the microwave. …
Yesterday we celebrated Labor Day in the U.S.. I heard one person say that whoever named that particular holiday should be fired since it’s actually a non-labor day! We get a day off to rest from our work. And God is in full agreement with this idea. Hebrews 4:4 tells us, For He has said somewhere …
During elementary school summers, my mom and I often spent afternoons at the Overlee Pools. This swim club featured two large competitive-sized swimming pools, a kids’ pool, and a deep water diving area. My swim team practiced there in the early mornings or late afternoons. But during the rest of the day, people of all ages …
Our oldest son has always loved Legos. Having explored their endless potential over many years, he even kept some on his desk as a military officer to help him with problem solving! But my earliest and perhaps fondest memory of Legos occurred after giving birth to our third son. (Three sons in 3 1/2 years!) Living with …
Recall the story of the lame man lying by the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He asked, “Do you wish to get well?” (John 5:6) In response the man whined, “I have no one to help me!” The guy obviously needed healing and …
This summer we had the joy of visiting our oldest son and his wife in Southern California. They live just blocks from the Pacific, so we spent hours strolling alongside the ocean, watching the surfers and enjoying the lovely weather. One paved stretch along the beachfront (called The Strand) features large, multilevel, multimillion dollar homes …
Spend as much time around toddlers as I have and you’ll eventually find yourself facing a gizmo called the shape sorter. Our family owned one and so does every church nursery in which I’ve volunteered. While this toy has evolved over the years, the one with which I’m most familiar comes from the Tupperware company. …
