Our six-year-old grandsons, Roy and Miles, are studying math in their Kindergarten classes this year. And they’re excited about their new found skills.
They’re learning to count everything. Puppets. Toys. Bears. Cars. People. And money. They’re doing addition and subtraction.
One day we picked up Miles from school and he proudly announced he knew the answer to 100-90. We, then, offered him some other “difficult” math problems which he enjoyed solving. Continue reading
Filed under Life
My wife, Norma Jean, likes to watch Hallmark movies. I suppose I’ve developed a bit of fondness for them as well. Currently, we’re watching their annual Christmas series.
When the movie begins with friction between the two lead male and female characters, I always turn to Norma and say, “Well, we know how this is going to end.” Even if one of them has a current boyfriend or girlfriend, something will happen to reveal this person was wrong for them. And the newfound love or in some cases, a rekindled relationship from High School is their true love. Continue reading
Filed under Life
I just caught a brief glimpse of the message that came across my iPhone yesterday afternoon and thought I’d misread it: “Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash.”
Soon I realized it was true. The 41-year-old retired N.B.A. superstar of the Los Angels Lakers had died in a tragic accident. Compounding the tragedy, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, along with 7 other people also perished in the crash. Continue reading
Filed under Word of the Week
It’s the time of year when we hear meteorologists repeat those words that strike fear in our hearts: “the cone of uncertainty.” It means a hurricane is brewing in the ocean and headed toward the US coast.
We’ve lived in Florida and know about the “cone of uncertainty.” We’ve experienced it first hand. We’ve seen people overreact as a result. And we’ve also seen people ignore hurricane warnings because of the “cone of uncertainty” and fail to properly prepare. Continue reading
Filed under Life
For the past several months, we have enjoyed visiting new places, traveling to different countries, worshiping with the brethren, and sharing the Word whenever we can.
These opportunities have allowed us to revel in the beauty of God’s creation. Experience tasty food. And learn about the customs of local people. Costa Rica has been no exception.
One of the terms we learned this week from our new friend and guide, Edgar, is the local expression “Pura Vida” (pronounced poo-rah vee-dah). Literally translated it means “simple life” or “pure life.” In Costa Rica, we’re learning it’s more than a saying–it’s a way of life. Continue reading
Filed under Life
While there are some posts on facebook with pictures and crude language that make me cringe, there are many wonderful connections with friends and brethren, as well as some thought-provoking ideas.
Recently my former college classmate, Debbie Vance Hendrix, shared these wonderful words of advice from the 20th-century inspirational author William A. Ward. Continue reading
Filed under Life
Charles Krauthammer, the conservative American columnist, author, and political commentator died yesterday at age 68.
Last August Krauthammer underwent surgery that was believed to be successful in removing a cancerous tumor. However, the cancer aggressively returned with no hope of recovering.
On June 8 Krauthammer issued a statement in the Washington Post saying he had only a few weeks to live. In reality, it was less than 2 weeks. After thanking his doctors, caregivers and professional colleagues, Krauthammer closed with this statement about his life’s work. Continue reading
Today is officially the first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. There’s something special, and memorable about the summer season. Or as James Russell Lowell expressed it, “What is so rare as a day in June?”
I have wonderful boyhood memories of summer growing up in central Indiana. No school. Sleeping in. Long days of sunshine. Riding bikes. Playing tag. VBS at church. Kool-aid. Summer nights catching fireflies. Fresh food from our garden. Playing hide-and-go-seek. No cares. No worries. Just a feeling of freedom and a time to have some fun. Continue reading
This morning from our Bible reading in Acts 27 I was reminded of this commonly quoted phrase, “This, too, shall pass.”
It is a paraphrase taken from the King James Bible “and it came to pass.” It occurs 477 times in the KJV and 177 in the NKJV. In more modern translations is it used far less often.
It is an expression used by folks working through difficult circumstances. There is no definitive answer for the exact origin of this popular saying, but some seem to think it stems from a fable written by Persian Sufi poets. Others suggest it was a part of Jewish folklore and credit King Solomon, although it is not recorded in the Bible. Continue reading
Filed under Life
“Often we allow ourselves to get all worked up about things that upon closer examination aren’t really that big a deal,” wrote Dr. Richard Carlson in his classic little book entitled Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.
Carlson illustrates how we may “focus on little problems and concerns and blow them way out of proportion. A stranger, for example, might cut in front of us in traffic. Rather than let it go, and go on with our day, we convince ourselves that we are justified in our anger.”
There are so many little things that can divert our attention from the bigger, more important issues of life. Continue reading
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