In middle school, I sometimes quoted a phrase I thought quite clever. “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant!” How often do others misunderstand us? Whether due to our unclear choice of words or the hearer’s …
Hoping for a turnaround to their dismal season start, I recently watched a Broncos football game. God sometimes shows me truth in unexpected places. In one particular play, I saw grace illustrated in football. When the quarterback throws the ball and his intended receiver catches it, that is not grace. That’s more like works. These …
On a recent botanic garden visit, I noticed an aquatic insect inhabiting a water feature. But it wasn’t in the water, it was on top of the water. I recognized it as a water strider. These insects glide effortlessly across the water’s surface, but can also stand still or skip across it. They have water-repellent …
Having four Boy Scouts in our family, we were well-acquainted with their motto: “Be prepared.” This slogan‘s wisdom hit home multiple times as we recently visited Leadville, Colorado, whose population once soared to over 50,000, but now boasts a mere 2,633. Leadville experienced an incredible but short-lived boom during the silver rush of the late …
A recent Saturday afforded me the opportunity to help at church by working on a couple of doors that were sticking and not opening or closing properly. The remedy involved rasping, filing, and sanding the edge of the doors so they would no longer strike the doorframe but instead would conform to the opening, easily …
Last week as I exited airport security and reached the gates, I heard the last call for a flight to my hometown. Now my ticket was for a flight two hours later, but it occurred to me maybe I could get home earlier. I went to the counter and explained that I was booked on …
The other night I attended a college production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Having known nothing about the musical beforehand, I was surprised and delighted by each new scene and song. It also got me thinking about Joseph himself–and how we, as believers, can relate to him. Ultimately, Joseph is an Old Testament …
Carrie and I just returned from Nashville, where I was attending a conference for work. The venue was unusual to say the least. It featured nine acres of indoor gardens, replete with a winding river, cascading waterfalls, and 6,000 tropical plants including more than 200 different species! All the greenery and the sound of the …
We have had the opportunity to travel more this year—partly due to work—than in recent years. And one thing I tend to notice is what people wear, especially when it differs from what I typically see in Denver. First, I notice the travel apparel. When I was a kid in the 1960s, people dressed up …
Sometimes when JB’s sister goes on a trip, we bird sit for her. She has owned canaries for the past few years, lovely yellow songbirds that entertain and intrigue me. Having known nothing about birds before, I’ve learned some lessons from them. Historically, Spanish sailors brought canaries from the Canary Islands to Europe, and they …
