We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks
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It all started in a conversation I had with a random group of people sitting around a table over Thanksgiving. Not being sure of what the conversation was about, I took a seat and said, “What are you guys talking about?” Someone asked: “Do you believe we actually went to the moon?” I said, yes, of course I do. And they wanted to know why? Well, I have lots of reasons why, but none the least of which, is why not? Why would the government go to great extremes to create a hoax then try to perpetu...
“The Spice of Life” This Thanksgiving, along with so much, I am thankful for the extra characters God has brought into my life and blessed me with. Everyone has a story to tell. I could tell you her name, but that might give it away. Several years ago her daughter and son-in-law came to me for marriage counseling. I gave them the best advice I could at the time and sent them on their way along with a homework assignment. The daughter went home and told her mom what my advice was (which by now...
It’s easy to read attitude and motives into people’s actions and text messages. I understand that not everyone respects God, the Church, church-goers or pastors. Some people even despise us. I know that some people don’t care for this column or me, even though we’ve never met and maybe never will. I don’t often receive fan mail, but occasionally I get an encouraging letter in the mail about something I wrote. One editor I submit my columns to told me one time that people were threateni...
In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations went into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be "filled with solemn pride in the heroism...
The story goes how the teacher instructed her students to pass their essay papers forward so she could collect them. The students dutifully did as they were told, except for one little boy, who walked up to her desk and handed the teacher his pencil. “What’s this,” she asked? “It’s my essay,” he responded. “This is your pencil,” she said. “Yes,” he said, “but my essay is inside that pencil. You just need to get it out of there.” If this column were a sermon, I would say here that I’ve decided...
Most people in the print business enjoy getting feedback from their readers, especially the good kind. I read where a certain publication received the following letter to the editor: “Dear Editor: When I subscribed a year ago you stated that if I was not satisfied at the end of the year I could have my money back. Well, I would like to have it back. On second thought, to save you the trouble, you can apply it to next year's subscription." A man takes his place in the theater, but his seat is t...
There is a lot happening in the world today - mainly in Israel. Ever since I was a little kid, my parents had the radio on and I remember hearing about wars and battles taking place in the Middle East. I only remember the Six Day War in 1967, where Egypt attacked Israel and was quickly defeated, because I read about it in history. I was a young teenager in 1973 when the Yom Kippur War broke out. At that time, I remember hearing about The Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula and the Suez Canal...
A few years back, the coach of UCLA’s football team, Pepper Rodgers was in the middle of a terrible season. It got so bad that it even upset his home life. He recalls: “My dog was my only friend. I told my wife that a man needs at least two friends… so she bought me another dog.” Several years ago, an elderly gentleman began attending Martintown Community Church. He had been out of church for some time – having given up on the possibility that there was a church out there that he would fin...
When we travel by car, I like to figure out ahead of time how many miles it is to our destination and how many hours it will take us to get there. In the olden days, I would get out my trusty road atlas, look at the index in back where it has a chart that tells you how many miles it is between any two certain cities and then map out the route we’d be taking. Then we’d pack our bags and hit the road. Nowadays, I just bring google maps up on my phone and it does the rest. But some things nev...
Who says God is dead? A few years ago, I’d say about 30 to be exact, there was a little white church out in the middle of nowhere in the country that was in trouble. Their pastor had just stepped down in the middle of controversy and they asked me if I’d be their new pastor. This was not an ideal situation, but I was much obliged to walk through the door God had opened for me. On my first Sunday behind the pulpit, we welcomed about 20 people to the worship service. Word soon got out that the...
There is no mystery in day to day life quite as exhilarating as the ordinary mailbox. Every day the possibility of something new arrives when the mailman stops at the end of the driveway and drops off the mail. I always thought being a mail carrier would be the best job in the world. You get to see the people on your route every day and you are the one they always look forward to seeing. Growing up, we didn’t necessarily watch and wait for him, but we were excited when we saw the mailman. I r...
When I was a kid on the farm, hitch pins were always in short supply. We didn’t travel on the road at all with our farm equipment back then, so we hadn’t heard of safety clips, much less any need to use them. We made do with what we had whether it be a long, one inch thick bolt, an occasional wrench, or even a screwdriver - we used whatever we could find. At one point in time, we used an engine valve. I’m not sure what engine it came out of or where we found it, but it was a piece of harde...
School is back in session for the most part. Which makes me think of my own school days in the public school. I was smart enough to skip a grade right off the bat - kindergarten. At six years old I was plunked down into first grade, but it didn’t settle well with me. I missed the carefree days of being home and hanging out with mom and dad on the farm. There was some adjustment required but I muddled through and eventually came to accept the fact that this was my new normal. I was a bit d...
As I sit at my keyboard pounding out the words going into this column, we are in the middle of a heat wave. It’s hot outside. But here in my basement office, it’s cool. Almost too cool. But as you read this, the heat wave has passed and it’s actually very nice outside. I have the thermostat in our house connected to my smartphone via an app. I can adjust the temperature from anywhere in the world that has wi-fi, which is pretty much everywhere. When my wife and I get away for a couple days, we a...
Today was the absolute worst day ever And don't try to convince me that There's something good in every day Because when you take a closer look, The world is a pretty evil place, Even if Some goodness does shine through once in a while Satisfaction and happiness don't last And it's not true that It's all in the mind and heart Because True happiness can be obtained Only if one's surroundings are good It's not true that good exists I'm sure you can agree with me, that The reality Creates My...
We have a kill-deer that built a nest right on the edge of our driveway, about a foot in from where the gravel meets the grass. Everytime I mowed the yard, the mama would squawk and squawk and try to lead me away by playing the broken wing trick. I looked and looked for her nest, hoping that I wouldn’t mow over it and ruin it and break the chain of life in nature. Then one day, when I was looking out the window I saw her sitting on the nest and took note of its location. When I went out there s...
It seems time goes a little faster now than it used to. Back in my youth it seemed like once summer was upon us, it had no end. We would work and play for sunny days on end. I don’t ever remember keeping track of the days. Summer was endless. My dad had two farms back then, about 20 miles from each other. One was a dairy farm, which was where we lived. The other was a beef farm where dad had a herd of Black Angus cattle. Grandpa took care of the beef cows, while dad and mom and the rest of us l...
A guy spots a sign outside a house that reads, “Talking Dog for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks in. “So, what have you done with your life?” he asks the dog. “I’ve led a very full life,” says the dog. “I lived in the Alps rescuing avalanche victims. Then I served my country in Iraq. And now, I spend my days reading at a retirement home.” The guy is flabbergasted, he turns to the owner and asks, “Why on earth would you want to get rid of a dog like that?” The owner says, “Because he’s a liar!...
We had some people visit our church a few months ago who live about 40 miles away. After the service we were chatting in the parking lot and the husband told me they’d love to come to Martintown, except “it’s just too far away.” My response was: “It’s not too far away. We have people who travel 50 miles or more every week to get here.” I didn’t even remember making that comment until he reminded me of it the day they joined in membership a few months later. He said he went home and thought abo...
Not long ago a couple of friends and myself met for breakfast to discuss some business at hand. We ordered our food and chatted amicably while we waited for our food to. When the food arrived, as is our custom, we bowed our heads and asked God’s blessing on the meal. As we started to eat, someone came over - a total stranger - and said he noticed we were praying and wondered if we’d pray for a friend of his. He went on to tell us his friend had just been diagnosed with cancer. One of the men...
A few weeks ago, after dinner one summer Sunday night, my wife and I decided to take advantage of the lingering daylight and go for a little drive. Our little drive ended up being more than little and we found ourselves in Galena. We drove the backroads getting there and once in town, we checked out the downtown area and then began exploring the neighborhoods up in the hilly parts of town. They were amazing. That town has some serious history about it. Afterward, we decided to take a different...
When I was still in high school I had a brother who was going to college with plans of being a pastor someday. On a trip home from Chicago one weekend, a salesman was on the farm and asked him what he was studying at school? He said he was studying to be a minister. I remember that guy’s response. He said: “Oh - that’s good. You’ll have job security because everybody has problems all the time and we all need a pastor.” I hadn’t really thought of being a pastor as somebody who would be helping...
We just finished Bible school week at MCC. The place was overflowing with excitement and action. We had over 90 excited students and 55 enthusiastic adults there most everyday. Our cup runneth over. But what is really important is that everyone involved was experiencing God doing something special in their lives. We are the community of God enjoying each other and learning about Him in many different aspects of life. We’re praising God together as one big group in the sanctuary through songs a...
In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God's great gifts, Satan brought forth Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan...
It’s June. This is what we’ve been waiting for - long, warm days and pleasant summer nights. In my humble opinion - this is the best month of the year. All the promise of life comes in June. School is out as are the leaves on the trees. The garden is growing. The grass is green and the farmers have already brought in the first of the summer harvest (hay). You can go outside without a jacket. A couple weeks ago, my wife and I did something we have never done before. For the first time, we dec...
