I recently asked a college student, “How are you classified”? “Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been taking mostly courses that I want to take,” she said. Focus on electives, and graduate in 5, 6, 7 years. Focus on requirements, and more likely graduate on time! Life is made up of both electives and requirements, and…
While Paul’s instructions are to pray for “those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1-2), and he specifies praying for “kings” the obvious application is anyone who is in any position of authority over us – President, Congress, Supreme Court, Governor, Senators & Representatives, County, Parish and Local Officials, and Law Enforcement Officers. The benefit of such…
I was in the Emergency Room Waiting Area, waiting on the arrival of a friend from the church where I was serving as Interim Pastor, when a young mother brought her screaming child in the room. The frightened child was yelling loud enough to be heard three floors up – “I OK, I OK, No…
The most amazing thing that I experienced on my recent cruise was something that didn’t happen. On board were 4500 passengers and 1500 crew. We represented 60 nations which included a diversity of ethnicity, language, religious preference, and lifestyles. For eight days we cruised together, ate together, shopped together, talked together, and greeted each other….
Last week I was on the Island of Roatan, a part of Honduras. It is an island of beautiful colored houses and buildings. When asked about the colors, my guide said everyone who can afford it re-paints their house or place of business every year. It is not only a way to resist the elements…
I have a friend who is writing a book. In fact I have several friends who are writing books. All of them have contacted me for various favors ranging from advice, to proof reading, to ghost writing, to writing the foreword, to simply adding a brief recommendation to their book cover. I am honored to…
The struggle began again this week; worse than which club to use on a difficult golf shot. Back pain! MRI showed arthritis and muscle spasms. Return to Physical Therapy and the therapy pool. Once again I heard the two voices battling in my head. One reminded me it had been nine years since I retired,…
Yesterday’s Father Day observance brought back a few memorable events. My kids had given me a Three Stooges tie bearing the pictures of Curly, Moe, and Larry. At their request I wore it to my Seminary office on the following Monday. Mid-morning brought a call from the Seminary President’s Office. I was requested to hurry…
You know you’re getting old when you remember something from elementary school but can’t remember where you parked your car at the mall yesterday. Last week’s Manna on brevity reminded me of the Weekly Reader, an educational classroom magazine designed for children. While it began (1928) before my time, circulation peaked during my elementary school…
I guess it all started with my parents’ subscription to Reader’s Digest. I enjoyed reading the brief articles. I never much liked reading long bodies of material at one setting. Then I had a Seminary professor who assigned us fifty-word papers to write. He said anyone could elaborate, but an accomplished writer could abbreviate. So…