Have you heard of the Tate family? They can be found in almost every organization… Dic Tate wants to run everything. Ro Tate tries to change everything. Agi Tate stirs up trouble whenever possible. Irri Tate always lends him a hand. Hesi Tate and Vegi Tate pour cold...
Quick – who was the winner of the: - 2010 Nobel Peace Prize? - 2009 Miss America pageant? - 2008 summer Olympics archery gold medal? Now identify: - the high school teacher who motivated you to be your best? - the Sunday school...
During this past week, I either watched or learned of the following: A friend’s husband removed political bumper stickers from the family car because of safety concerns for his wife and children. A politically active local group is seeking to have a newspaper...
Do you ever get discouraged at how problematic the world has become? Does your heart sink at the avalanche of troubles burying you, your family, or your friends? That even if you wanted to help, you wouldn’t know where to begin? I love the story, ascribed to Loren...
There’s something heart-warming about giving or receiving a Thank You. When someone tells us thank you, we feel acknowledged, affirmed, and appreciated. We’re encouraged to go the extra mile, to keep on truckin’, and to persevere through inconveniences. When we tell...
A television station is running a marathon of episodes from a 1960s television program called “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” The airings are in honor of the 50th anniversary of the series. It’s fun to watch old programs that chronicled a simpler time, when valuing faith...
Cleaned out my bookshelves the other day (to make room for more books!) and came across a little paperback that’s been around for twenty-five years: All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things, by Robert Fulghum. Here are a...
I’ve been thinking lately about stewardship. That’s not a word we use much in our culture anymore. It’s one of those words that seems to have fallen out of favor. Most people haven’t noticed. But maybe we should notice. A steward is someone who has the responsibility...
Who doesn’t want to be happy? The right to pursue happiness is even written in the United States’ Declaration of Independence. Then there’s the popular post floating around the internet. Perhaps you’ve read it… “Someone once said, "There comes a time in your life,...
I’m a person of strong opinions. It’s rare that I don’t have an opinion on a subject – just ask my husband! Lately, though, I’ve been wondering about the art of disagreement. Without meaning to, I’ve come up against passions that run high and emotions that run deep on...
Grace Givers I’ve been thinking lately about stewardship. That’s not a word we hear very often anymore. It’s...
Colorblind sin Sin is ugly. Horrific. Heartbreaking. And colorblind. It’s not white. It’s not black. The murder...
Do You Know a Late Bloomer? The amaryllis flower was a Christmas gift more than a year ago. Thankful that I...