Around the time our third son joined the family, a dear church friend started a preschool for a small group of children, including our oldest son. Debbie used all sorts of creative tools and techniques to challenge these bright youngsters. One day she showed them a photograph of a recent earthquake, asking what they thought …
A few years ago, Carrie bought me a rain barrel. She figured, “We water plants in the back yard all summer, so why not collect some of the rainfall and save a little on the water bill?” We’ve enjoyed many free gallons of water from that rain barrel. But in our semi-arid climate, it doesn’t …
When I was fifteen years old, I did a science fair project called The Third Line of Defense, referring to the invader-specific antibodies of the immune system. I found immunology fascinating, and reading medical textbooks as a teenager, thought I would later become a doctor like my oldest sister. She had dedicated herself to the …
A few months ago our brother-in-law (married to one of JB’s sisters) stopped in for a few days during a cross-country trek. A retired Navy helicopter pilot and former aircraft carrier commanding officer, he now volunteers many hours building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Looking around our place he asked if we needed help with …
Years ago, our oldest son’s teacher asked students to answer the question, “What makes you unique?” Staring at that blank sheet of paper I would have felt compelled to write a lengthy paragraph listing numerous distinctives, hoping to impress the teacher with my thoughts. In contrast, and despite turning in a nearly blank page, Jeremy …
When I worked at an insurance company before the pandemic, our branch manager liked to offer snacks as a small token of her appreciation for the employees. Hence, every other Friday we pulled out an old-fashioned popcorn popper. The fragrance it produced wafted through the air, eliciting enthusiastic comments across the office. Looking back, I …
Some days I’m acutely aware that I’m not twenty-something anymore. The last time I helped someone move (and I do mean the last time, God willing!) I was the self-appointed packer, doing the Tetris thing, filling a U-Haul truck from floor to ceiling. I’d stood far too long precariously perched atop stacked possessions, awkwardly twisting …
My son Josh and I just returned this week from a wonderful time visiting a couple of our western national parks. We camped in a tent in Yellowstone for six nights, and marveled at steaming thermal springs and mud pots, conical and fountain geysers, torrential waterfalls and prismatic hot springs encircled by a breathtaking rainbow …
Growing up I used to say this prayer before meals: “God is great; God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” (I always recited it in a 4/4 rhythm with Ah-men as the last two beats.) Little did I know that I was speaking one of the greatest truths in the universe …
If you were a king, what kind of legacy would you leave? I and II Chronicles follows the sad, roller coaster account of Judah’s rulers. Comparing the first three is enlightening. King Saul wowed the citizens with his height and good looks. Relying on his outward appearance he lacked inner strength. In reality, he was …
