My father-in-law was in the Navy, so my wife moved several times growing up. Where we live now is the longest she has ever lived anywhere. And I suppose that’s true for me as well. A former military couple we know moved their family about twenty times in as many years. Apparently one of their …
One day Jesus led his disciples through Samaria, a route these young men would have otherwise avoided. In their generations-old hostility toward Samaritans (half-breeds whose worship practices defied God’s law) the Jews prided themselves on being “right.” While Jesus rested beside a well, He sent the disciples to purchase some food. They returned later, appalled …
One year before Christmas my daughters and I made Christmas cookies–LOTS of cookies! I have no idea what came over me but I felt compelled. For the spritz cookies, we used a cookie press, enabling us to create little shapes and designs with the dough. One nice thing about working with that particular dough was …
At the end of last December I found myself scheduling time off I hadn’t managed to fit in during the year. My company offers paid time off on a use it or lose it basis. Since a benefit like that is part of my overall compensation, I would be foolish to ignore it. David often …
From an early age I swam competitively. In high school I swam on a city AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team as well as with my high school’s team. That AAU coach was a stickler for form. We watched underwater footage of Mark Spitz swimming, and the coach would point out little nuances the Olympic gold …
Noticing little birds enjoying our bird feeder this morning, I recalled the old song “His Eye is on the Sparrow.” Its reassuring refrain comforts us with certainty that if God’s eye is on the common sparrow, He will surely watch over us. The thought originates from Matthew 10:29. “Aren’t two sparrows sold for only a …
A series of children’s books featured Amelia Bedelia, a maid who consistently misinterpreted directions (with disastrous results) dismaying her employers. She took every directive literally: planting lightbulbs (instead of flower bulbs) in pots, cutting holes in a polka-dot dress to “remove the spots,” and tying expensive cuts of meat in the garden to “stake the …
A recent article about our state’s professional football team highlighted their distinction of having the best defense in the league… and the worst offense! In one game alone, we saw their quarterback get sacked six times and hit eighteen times! It takes more than a good defense to win a football game; somebody’s got to …
Years ago I developed a taste for plain yogurt for breakfast. I mix things with it, but like the taste and the fact that it’s not loaded with added sugar. Since Carrie figured out how to make it from milk and starter yogurt in a crock pot, we’ve been making our own. All it takes …
In The Adventure of Silver Blaze, a Sherlock Holmes short story, the famous detective was drawn to a “curious incident”—a silent dog. This fact, unobserved by everyone else, unlocked the mystery of a missing racehorse. The others’ wrong questions, and the ensuing wrong answers, had resulted in the arrest of an innocent man, and it …
