But Lord….

During an aerial ballet representing the quest of the Magi to follow the star that led them to Jesus, a young Ohio woman fell onto a concrete floor as two thousand worshippers watched in shock and grief and prayers for her well-being. Hours later at the hospital, she died. But Lord! You blindsided us here.  How could this happen? Did…

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All That Glitters…

“We had realized the American Dream and were living a very expensive lifestyle, where it is difficult to turn off the spigot.” – Kenneth Lay (1942-2006) The spigot was shut off on July 5. Life, no matter how full of accomplishments or adorned with beauty, is ultimately futile and disappointing unless it is God-focused. The tragic death of Ken Lay–once…

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The Year of Kindness Revisited

You ever think about songs you used to sing that are seldom sung anymore? “Make Me a Blessing” used to be really popular in the Sunday School I attended every weekend. I never much cared for it; the music was too bland, the lyric too cliched, the song was just too too uninteresting for my taste. And the whole notion…

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The Year of Kindness

Scene: chairs around a kitchen counter and two place settings. Characters: Dick, Jane, a bowl of fried potatoes, and other comestibles playing bit roles. Dick (with a puzzled look): “Baby, what did you put in these potatoes?” Jane (eyes narrowed): “Why?” Pause. “Is. There. A. Problem?” Dick (with a deep sigh); “Can you, for once in your life, just give…

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