Seeking the Wrong Jesus

“Bring me a rock.” I hated getting taskings like this. We went and found a “rock,” only to find out the boss wanted a rounder rock, or smoother, or purple. We wondered if the rock we found was the right one. Of course, the military seldom looks for rocks, but some...

You’re Not the Boss of Me!

Imagine an older child telling a younger, “You need to clean up your room.” Would it surprise you if the younger said, “You’re not the boss of me!” Have you heard this same conversation? This “conversation” is a microcosm of the world at large today. Everyone wants to...

How Do I Love Thee?

…let me count the ways. Those are the opening words of Elizabeth Browning’s 43 sonnet. What strikes me as odd about the sonnet is that she described her emotions, but she didn’t list any actions to show how she loved. I don’t doubt she loved deeply, but if her love...

That Sure Is a Lot of Work

There is a scene in McFarland, USA when Kevin Costner had worked in the fields until all he could do was lay on the ground, moaning in misery. Some people see Christianity like that and ask, “Is it worth it?” In John 15:1-17, Jesus talks to His disciples...

You Didn’t Say, “Simon Says!”

Do you remember playing that game with neighbors and friends as a kid? The idea was to get someone confused and not really listening, then you would gleefully say, “Jump like a frog!” Then  one of the other kids would – but you didn’t say, “Simon says” so he...

Really, Look for the Right Things!

Teaching chemistry can be difficult. You hate to ask the question, “What part did you not understand?” Mostly because you’ll get the answer, “That part starting after, ‘Good morning, class!’” To teach a single concept, you need to teach it several different ways. To...

That Just Sounds Wrong

TV commercials sell products. If you remember the commercial but not the product, then the commercial failed. I remember a commercial that sold something, but I don’t remember what it was. I remember  the commercial because a teenage daughter shouted at her...

Blasphemy

If you ever find yourself in front of a court, look very carefully at the American flag. If it has a yellow fringe, that means the court is declaring itself an admiralty court, and they have no jurisdiction over you. (Note: This is NOT legal advice! Don’t do this!)....

Come and See for Yourselves!

A friend from Germany visited Penelope, Texas. She had seen a map and intellectually understood that towns in Texas were separated by miles and miles. She did not truly understand it until she saw how long and empty the road was between Birome, Leroy, Penelope, and...

No Witnesses

Bob knew it was a perfect crime. He carried out in the dead of night. There were no witnesses, and there were no co-conspirators. Two years later, he heard the verdict and the gavel and began his long life of incarceration. How could Bob have found himself in this...

New Testament

God Has a Better Plan

God Has a Better Plan

Two thousand years ago, Elizabeth wanted children. In her culture, children were her priority. She didn’t have any, therefore others looked down on her. Her society wrote her off as too old to be a successful Jewish woman. She was too old to have children. She was...

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Greek Yogurt Is Terrible

Greek Yogurt Is Terrible

Johnny stood, mouth open in disgust. “It gets stuck between your teeth, is too tough to chew, and tastes like day-old Dr. Pepper. Greek yogurt is yucky!” He wrinkled his nose even thinking about it. Jen paused her spoon an inch from her open mouth. “Have you ever...

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Come and See!

Come and See!

Nurses just know. They’ve been there, done that. They say, “Just slap a bandaid on it and stop complainin’!” But that same gruff nurse who blows off our ouches and owies as an annoyance will soften like butter in the warm, Texas sun when confronted with a patient who...

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Old Testament

Change Is Tough

Change Is Tough

The Air Force provides a lot of training, very little of it on a volunteer basis. One of the trainings I took was in “Change Management.” It may have had a different, more military sounding name, something like “Non-linear Progression of Leadership Requirements” but I...

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The A-Team

The A-Team

When the Air Force stationed my dad overseas, the only real disadvantage of living “on the economy” was a lack of US TV programs. If you lived close enough to base, you could watch the Armed Forces Network, but we lived too far away. Somehow, one of the American...

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