A few weeks ago, several of our church members and family experienced the heartache and grief of losing a loved one.  In those times, we want to be a help and comfort but often feel inadequate to the task. What we may not realize is that the time and moment of the loss is not… Read More »

The cost of going out to eat has reached ridiculous levels!  Many restaurants have closed, including some chain restaurants, due to the economy.  Others, though, seem to be finding their way through the economic woes. Texas Road House, Longhorn Steak House, Chick fil A, Dominos, McDonald’s, and Burger King all experienced growth in their revenue… Read More »

An event from this day in 1898 caught my eye because it happened in Skagway, Alaska, where we were at about a year ago.  It involved a conman known as Soapy Smith. Born in 1860 as Jefferson Randolph Smith, he quickly discovered that he had a severe allergy.  He was allergic to work!  It was… Read More »

Eight times in my life I have been hospitalized.  Three of those times happened before I was five years old.  There were a few other times for same-day procedures.  The words you looked forward to hearing were, “You can go home.”  Discharge didn’t happen fast enough.  At one of the more recent surgeries, I remember… Read More »

Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the park.  One of the seasonal favorites of summer is baseball.  According to a 1974 ad jingle, nothing is more American than baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.  For those who love baseball, you probably enjoy the All-Star Game where you get to see all… Read More »

Thursday, June 25 was a national celebration of something that takes place every Sunday in churches all across the world.  We will see plenty of it this morning.  June 25th was National Handshake Day. Oh, I know that the germaphobes cringe at the thought of gripping the unwashed, unsanitized hand of another person.  “You don’t… Read More »

Three cheers for the red, white and blue, For the red is the blood of our brothers. The white is the light of the star That has led us to where we are. The blue is the hue of the sky Where on high the Almighty falters never. Our banner for two hundred years! Oh… Read More »

Thirty-three year old Gustavo DeJesus Torres needs a new job.  Actually, he just needs to get a job.  Maybe in a few years, he will.  He must first pay his dues to society. “A news story from 2021 reports that a then-29-year-old Gustavo Torres robbed a bank in the Newark suburb of Belleville, New Jersey… the robber… Read More »

If I was to ask if you like pickles, most would say they do.  Lobster?  Absolutely.  Bacon?  Of course!  Buffalo wings?  Oh yeah!  Sweet corn slathered in butter and salt?  A seasonal favorite.  Mashed potatoes?  Bring it on! Then, there are some other food items that might be more of an acquired taste like goat… Read More »

Change.  It’s unavoidable.  Most of us are honest enough to admit that we don’t like change, especially when that change alters habits and practices we’ve done for years.  When change happens, we resist it, even challenge it.  Such is the case for all of us who spent some of our best years in the 80s… Read More »