Hallmark Cards

Why does Hallmark make cards? Somehow they seem to have the exact right words for different situations. What do you say to someone in the hospital? Send them a get-well card! What do you say to new grandparents-to-be? Send them a get-well card too! What do you say to...

God, Where Are You!?

In Mark 6:45-52 we read about Jesus walking on the water. In this account, Jesus sent the disciples ahead of Him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while He went up the mountain to pray. It was very late at night/early in the morning and the wind blew, causing...

A Simple Question

Sometimes people are highly motivated to learn something new. It could be house repair, a foreign language, or how to cook a soufflé. With all of the resources available to us via the internet, we can literally have someone show us how to do these things at any time...

Bring me a rock

In the Air Force, and probably the other branches as well, you don’t always get clear guidance on tasks. A boss once asked for a report on a long-range plan. After working on it for weeks, he said,  “I was thinking something with more clouds to indicate...

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...

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!)....

Bumper Sticker

I once read a bumper sticker that said, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” I thought it was a great bumper sticker, and then I thought about it a little more. The middle part, “I believe it,” just didn’t matter. If God says it, that settles it. Our...

What do I do now?

 My crew partner admitted to saying, “But I haven’t got to that chapter in the book!” His wife’s water broke, but he hadn’t finished, “What to Expect When You Are Expecting.” The end of the pregnancy snuck upon him. At the crucial moment, he asked the question,...

A Simple Recipe

Wrap the potato in aluminum foil. Preheat the oven. Stick the wrapped potato into the oven. How easy is that? Only two ingredients: potato and aluminum. After it’s cooked, you can add butter, or sour cream, or whatever else to taste. If you follow this recipe, you...

Don’t Bury the Lead

Burying the lead means that the most important part of a newspaper article is not mentioned first. Newspaper articles are not meant to be read like stories because readers read ruthlessly. Editors expect readers to skip over articles that they don’t appear relevant,...

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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