When I pray and when I think, I tend to labor over what is wrong, what needs to be fixed. These are the black specks on the blank piece of white paper. I focus on what’s wrong with other people and especially what’s wrong with me, and, of course, what’s… Continue reading
This is one of the easiest and most cathartic posts I have ever written. It’s easy because I can clearly catalog the characteristics of evangelical religion that are distasteful to me. Since I write this at the peak fervor of our presidential campaign, Evangelical entanglement with politics immediately comes to… Continue reading
I am grateful that I am doing pretty darn well. Physically, there are little signs of aging, but nothing chronic like so many of my contemporaries are dealing with. Financially, doing okay. This retirement thing might just work out. Finally, we have our home fixed up pretty much like we… Continue reading
What does it mean when your parents die? How about when their whole generation has moved on to the next life? My Mom passed away two days before Christmas, so I am trying to figure that out. She was the last of her generation in our family as she joined… Continue reading
I was tired. Really tired! I might even have experienced heat exhaustion. Anyway, it was hot, ninety-five degrees to be exact, and I was exhausted. Moving dirt, laying sod and pushing a lawn roller filled with water is hard work even when it is not scorching. But I feel fulfilled… Continue reading
Or is exclusive. And is inclusive. Or makes enemies. And makes friends. Or gets its way or blocks the way. And gives a little, learns a lot, and finds a way. Or vilifies. And reaches out. Or believes it has the truth. And believes there is more to learn. Or is a false… Continue reading
When you get married, you not only marry your wife or your husband, but you are also grafted into each other’s family, and their traditions. One of Patty’s family’s Memorial Day traditions was to visit the various small town cemeteries where loved ones were buried to place flowers on their… Continue reading
From the archives. This snowy winter day seemed like a good time to remember a warmer, more hospitable time and place. The Gulf of Mexico makes a great backyard, though it’s a lot different than life on the Wisconsin/Illinois border near the perpetual chill of Lake Michigan. Palm trees replaced… Continue reading
Sunday, June 20th, 2021, was a good day. It was after all, Father’s Day. Later in the day we were going over to my son’s for one our raucous family gatherings. So, I had time to hang my new backyard party lights, but soon things took a sudden turn south. … Continue reading
From the archives: I have been fascinated by the concept of repurposing ever since our weekend visit to Mineral Point, Wisconsin about three years ago. It was a bleak time of year, like now, in the middle of February when we made that trip. We surprisingly discovered that many of… Continue reading
You don’t have to be a democrat or republican, conservative, or liberal. Don’t be deceived into thinking the only choices are one or the other. You could choose both, or neither. You could be a lot one and little the other, or a little bit of each. You be could… Continue reading
An old song by the Eagles (written mostly by Jackson Browne) A way to say goodbye or end a conversation An expression that means take things at a comfortable pace. I am trying to take it easy today, though I am not very good at it. I am attempting to… Continue reading
Here I am in my happy spot again on this tropical, secluded southwest Florida island on the Gulf of Mexico. I lived most of my life thinking I would never have an opportunity like this, even once. So, coming here for the sixth time in about a dozen years is… Continue reading
Hope. You got to have it. Life is agony without it. It’s what keeps us going. Covid. It changed our politics, our culture, our lives. It took too many of our loved ones. We have all about had it with Covid. Getting things back to any resemblance of normal has been… Continue reading
If you just woke up after a year in a comma, what would you think? What would you think when you ventured out to find everyone wearing a mask? What would you think when you learned that we were in the midst of a modern-day plague that has taken over… Continue reading
I can’t say that I wasn’t warned about discussing religion and politics. A large chunk of the responses I have received when have I written about those topics has been discouraging. It was not because people disagreed with me, but because they obviously did not read the entire post or… Continue reading
This is a long post, but I ask that you read it all if you choose to respond with a constructive comment. Donald Trump is an obscene gesture to the American political system. As a used car dealer from South Carolina said four years ago, “We’re voting with our middle… Continue reading
The start of a new year brings with it the opportunity for new hope. Really a year is just a number. That’s how long it takes this little blue planet to get around the sun. There seems be unanimous agreement that 2020 sucked. A global pandemic killed hundreds of thousands.… Continue reading
We are living in strange times, aren’t we? I certainly did not want for anyone to take an unnecessary chance to be exposed to a disease that took my brother’s life. Also, an oversized chapel at the funeral home did not seem like the right setting for what would have… Continue reading
Plague / Conspiracy Caution / Frivolity Fear / Foolishness Scientists / Politicians Facts / “News” Reality / Spin Gaff / “Clarification” Understanding / Accusation Poor / Lazy Caring / Bleeding Hearts Honest / Racist Rule of Law / Trending Topic Comply / Refuse Rant / Resolve Snarky / Civil Demonize… Continue reading
I am looking at the edges of the earth. My panoramic view is so spectacular that it is rounded off at the edges. Even better, it’s the Gulf of Mexico. Better yet, I am sitting on the patio of the villa we have rented for the week. The warm Gulf… Continue reading
Hey ya’ll! Yes, that is a southern greeting! And yes, I am in the south. The southern portion of the Appalachians in Northern Georgia, more particularly, the southern Blue Ridge Mountains. When I say I am in the mountains, I mean I am in the midst of a majestic mountain… Continue reading
Honestly, I impressed myself just a couple of days ago when I said, “ I don’t need my opinions re-enforced, I need them to be challenged.” I patted myself on the back and felt very “woke.” So much goes into developing those opinions, our upbringing, our life circumstances, our friends… Continue reading
Kenosha, Wisconsin (pop.100,164, about 150,000 with suburbs)) is our nearest city at about 10 minutes away. We are there several times a week. It was a manufacturing city that has successfully re-invented itself as a distribution center and tourist destination. It’s growing. The downtown is rapidly redeveloping and the Lake… Continue reading
Covid death and confusion. Deadly plague or sort of just the flu, but different. The U.S. leads the world, but in a bad way. Economy in the toilet. Workers with no jobs. Entrepreneurs and companies giving up the ghost. Schools, sports, even the NFL. No one knows what to do.… Continue reading
We just wished America a happy birthday. She is a magnificent lady, but she is starting to show her age. There are a few tell-tale signs that everything is not working as good as it used to. It is one of those concerns that I would like to address today.… Continue reading
The rage over George Floyd’s death at the hands of local police officers has consumed our national psyche as it revived the demand for racial justice and reformation of our law enforcement system. It was the recent spark that re-ignited protests, violence, as well as scoffing by some who just… Continue reading
The glue of our society is brittle. Under the pressure of various crises, the cracks have widened and things are beginning to break apart. A virus has killed over 100,000 Americans. Yet, we are re-opening the economy even though the number of cases (and deaths) is continuing to rise in… Continue reading
Change We never really know what the future holds. Life can quickly change very unexpectantly. Irony A microscopic virus, a cousin of the common cold, killed thousands, crippled the economy, and confound the nations of the world. Its manner of spreading, coughing and sneezing, and its manner of abatement, handwashing,… Continue reading
The Super Bowl for Christians Only every year your team wins A big party with lavish religious productions A happy time with colorful eggs oddly laid by rabbits A celebration of new clothes and new life An empty cross and an empty tomb Hope. Life. Victory. Only this year is… Continue reading
Life has we have known it for all of our years has been suddenly and severely altered. If you are working, you are vulnerable. If you are locked down at home, everything about your daily routine has been changed. We feel like we are living in a syfy novel in… Continue reading
Response: any behavior of a living organism that results from an external or internal stimulus. What do our responses to this pandemic and our staying at home to lessen its impact tell us about ourselves? Honestly, I believe we tend to have an initial knee-jerk reaction that is more related to… Continue reading
Our lives have suddenly changed in unexpected ways and it’s been unsettling. Even though we are more separated from one another, we realize that we are all in this together. That fact has generated a spirit of compassion. People are asking one another, “How are you doing?” So, how are… Continue reading
It’s an oxymoron. How can you be social and distant? Do social media and technology finally attain a higher purpose? Perhaps, though they have so many limitations. There is no substitute for physical proximity and eye-to-eye contact. Social distancing is an odd term. Very clear and very imperative in one… Continue reading
“Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” – ancient Chinese proverb This is the post that I have been wanting (and dreading) to write for months. It violates that age-old admonishment to avoid discussing religion and politics. If fact, they may be the two most… Continue reading
Ever notice how the cows all face the same direction in the pasture, but there is one that didn’t seem to get the memo and is separate from the herd doing his own thing? That’s me. I dislike housing tracts where the nearly identical a dwellings are crammed in close… Continue reading
We miss a lot. Life is busy. Let’s be honest, it’s hard not to think about what we are going to do next, even when someone is pouring out their heart to us. We can be so agenda driven that we only think about the end goal and regard the… Continue reading
We have all heard that it is unwise to talk about religion and politics. However, when you think about their far-reaching effect, it is unwise not to talk about religion and politics. We just need to learn how to do it without hating people or concluding they are crazy. Continue reading
When it’s chilly outside, but warm inside. An opportunity to reflect just before the holiday chaos descends upon us. An occasion to gather together when there has been so much driving us apart. A timeout to appreciate what we have been taking for granted. A time to take stock of… Continue reading
The more I heard of Senator McCain’s story, the starker the contrasts became between the man who tried to become president and one who is president. One was born into a family of service with a glowing history of military careers. The other was born into a life of privilege… Continue reading
The deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Charles Krauthammer may be practically forgotten and long gone from the internet’s trending topics by now. Yet, they deserve to be remembered. They were artists who, to the best of my knowledge, never painted a portrait or sculpted a bust. They used words, reasoning,… Continue reading
Just above my computer screen are the wild dunes, home to gopher tortoises, anoles, geckos, and who knows what. Many of the sea oats have reached four or five feet in height and there is even a large cactus right in front of me. Here on the patio, the crows… Continue reading
Recently, I was face-to-face with someone I thought highly of and we were in the midst of a serious disagreement about political issues. It has happened several times with several people. While I enjoy a good open discussion, I don’t enjoy these encounters. In these situations, I am usually shocked… Continue reading
When Fox News anchor Shepard Smith was asked about the opinion side of Fox News in a recent Time Magazineinterview he ruffled some feathers when he replied: “We serve different masters. We work for different reporting chains, we have different rules. They don’t really have rules on the opinion side.… Continue reading
It’s overcast, but I think there will still be a nice view of the sunset from my backyard, which is currently the Gulf of Mexico. Life is tough sitting here barefoot on the cottage deck as I write about relaxing. The beach appears from here to be nearly empty. The… Continue reading
Our nation has had only one independent president. That’s right, only one who stayed out of the partisan fray and refused to be locked into a political ideology. He certainly had his principles and stuck to them, yet he understood the value of moderation. While non-partisan, he was far from… Continue reading
On March 3, 1991, in the wee hours of the morning three friends who had spent the night watching basketball and drinking were speeding on Interstate 210 in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. A California Highway Patrol unit gave chase, but the driver refused to pull over. The… Continue reading
Brian Zahnd is a pastor in my hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri, and he is about the same age as me. In his newest book, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Brian takes on some issues that have been mysterious and troubling for me, and countless others. The… Continue reading
Something beautiful happens in ditches and dining rooms. More specifically, it happens when we dig a ditch with another laborer and share our table with another diner. Chip Gains introduced me to that concept. Chip and his wife Joanna are the stars of the hit HGTV show, Fixer Upper. Chip… Continue reading
“After telling me how to live my life, who to love, what to believe, what not to believe, what to do and what not to do and now you sit back and the prostitutes don’t matter? The grabbing the you-know-what doesn’t matter? The outright behavior and lies don’t matter? Just… Continue reading
