What are you good at? My soon-to-be-married daughter recently asked me to address her wedding invitations. I’ve hand-lettered since I was twelve and once ran a calligraphy business, so I told her, “Of course!” You confidently say “Yes” when asked to perform tasks at which you excel. But what if God asks you to act …
Many of the earliest stories we hear start with, “Once upon a time…” From there the author paints the setting and introduces the characters. Schools offer classes such as America History: 1492-1865 or AP World History. We tell stories and histories to our kids chronologically so they can understand the sequence of events. In a …
Growing up with a dad who was a research scientist and chemical engineer, I occasionally found things in our garage one wouldn’t consider a standard household item. One of these was a little jar of silver fluid curiously heavy for its size. I recall playing with it and pouring some of it in my hand. …
Still somewhat in summer vacation mode, I recently pondered seating on planes. Some discount airlines require you to pay extra to choose your seat. The rest get assigned a seat at random. But whether you pay for your seat or choose to be subject to the airline’s whim, they allow all sorts of people on …
A few times a year I fly to visit my mom in another state. Everyone on the plane takes it for granted that the plane will leave the ground at the end of the runway. None of us doubt that the law of lift will defy the law of gravity. Scientists such as Cayley, Bernoulli, …
In the midst of uncertain times, there is always opportunity for alarm. The economy appears to be at risk, and you learn a coworker was just let go. Your next thought may naturally be, “Am I next?” The unrestrained mind can race far down a negative path in an instant. Before you know it, you’ve …
Never having been a coffee drinker, I don’t tend to meet up with people for java. My favorite way to connect with another guy is to go for a walk on a trail. One friend I enjoy walking with told me he recently got some new walking shoes that make him feel like he’s gliding. I …
Decades ago, I sang in our high school’s choral group. One evening I drove two other members to a nursing home where we would sing. None of us had been there before and (as this was in the 70’s) we only had written instructions—no Siri or cell phones. I had a terrible sense of direction …
A new internet company laid fiber optic cable in our neighborhood last winter, digging deep holes for junction boxes between every home. They eventually came back and patched the grass they’d dug up with new sod around the junction access lids. Walking through our neighborhood this summer, I noticed many of these nicely laid pieces …
In the 1970s the world was introduced to the game Dungeons and Dragons. In this (sometimes addictive) role-playing game, each player takes on the persona of an imaginary character, interacting with other characters in various situations, with the goal of gaining power over obstacles and others in a fantasy world. Never having played it myself, …
There are some things you just have to do. You don’t necessarily do them because you want to, but because you know you should, or you somehow feel obligated. Websters defines obligation using words like duty, responsibility, and demands of conscience or custom. Maybe you made a promise, or you were committed by someone else, …
As newlyweds we lived in a third-floor apartment. One floor below us lived a fellow who liked to play an electric guitar which boomed through the walls and floor, posing a definite distraction. It was one of those features of sharing a roof that made us eager to buy a house, a feat we we thankfully achieved …
