Putting On the Dog

I am told that the period after the Civil War, leading up to the end of that century was a very colorful time in American history. War always makes manufacturers wealthy. And there were quick fortunes to be made in railroads, oil exploration and even real estate. All...

Clay Pots

I remember when my sandwich at lunch was covered by folded wax paper. And then mom discovered Tupperware and heaven help you if you didn’t bring home the precious plastic box. Today, we stuff sandwiches (and everything else) in zip lock bags (preferably the water...

They Matter!

On the news the other night, they had a report about an autistic young man who had a remarkable experience in a grocery store. As his family did their shopping, the teenager became fascinated with a store clerk as he was stocking shelves. The store clerk stepped to...

Dealing with Disappointments

Years ago I attended a seminar called “Basic Youth Conflicts,” and it changed my life. I was so young in my faith, so rough around the spiritual edges that I needed a totally new way of thinking about life. And the material in those sessions certainly struck a chord...

Departure

When I lived in England, I loved sitting in those massive train stations and listening to all the announcements. I can still hear pronouncements like “The 4:15 non-stop to Manchester is now departing on track number six. All aboard!” rolling around in my memory banks....

Getting our Teens to Hang around Home

Apparently in the Australian outback, ranchers have two strategies for dealing with wandering cattle. Some build miles and miles of high, tight fences to ensure that the cows stay in and the wolves stay out! The other strategy calls for digging a deep, sweet well that...