01/03/2010 - 20:16
It was cold, windy and a light, yet steady rain was falling. I parked the car, climbed over the guardrail and worked my way down the slope that led to a small encampment. Several students followed my lead, parking their cars, climbing over the guardrail, descending the slope, as well. Most of us carried boxes of socks, rain slickers, winter coats and blankets. One or two students carried boxes filled with sandwiches,...
12/23/2009 - 17:26
Cobalt clouds blocked the early morning sun. To either side of the two lane road cornfields stretched, freshly plowed and bedded down for another Indiana winter. My son, second grader extraordinaire, was firing inquisitive question after question about everything from corn to who the guy wearing the funny hat on the Quaker oatmeal box was and asking me why he looked like Santa Claus, albeit un-bearded. It was our daily routine or rather – his routine and I gladly...
12/21/2009 - 19:43
When I was a kid I’d eat most anything – with the exception of Brussel Sprouts. Those things looked and smelled like something left behind by an oversized Praying Mantis. I was not in the least bit surprised to discover that they tasted just like I had imagined giant bug droppings to taste. And, having heard from an early age that you are what you eat (my second father was a Nutritionist), I envisioned turning into a round little green boy that smelled like...
12/16/2009 - 02:08
Silence settled over the Plain of Dura. The wind ruffled the robes and hair of the prostrate worshipers, replacing the sounds of the cymbals, drums, flutes and trumpets. Dust devils circled lazily among the worshipers, lending to the scene an eerie quality that stirred the people not to worship but astonishment and fear, instead. Three lone figures stood before the gold statue which looked surprisingly like King Nebuchadnezzar. Their faces bore the look that comes...
11/25/2009 - 14:01
Sometimes we ridicule our own hope for happiness, questioning our right to receive life’s blessings, God’s gifts. In times of change it’s easy to overlook the blessings that accompany us through the day and into the night. When change comes, whether by choice or brought on by circumstances, it’s easy to question God’s presence. My response to changes that fall under the categorical heading – This is a Good Thing – is to ask, okay...
10/10/2009 - 16:55
In 1963 the whole world said good-bye to the likes of Robert Frost, Aldus Huxley, and innocence itself. My new dad, my mother, Apprille and I said good-bye to Los Angeles and moved to Porterville, California. Tony Bennett said good-bye to San Francisco and left his heart behind. Dr. DeBakey, of Houston, Texas, performed the first artificial heart implant surgery. If he’d ever been to San Francisco, no one said. I’m pretty sure he’d never...
09/24/2009 - 17:48
Years ago, while serving as a pastor in Bozeman, Montana, I was given a tie clasp. It was a silver gecko. It had been handcrafted by the man my heavenly Father sent in answer to my prayer as a boy that went like this, “Dear Daddy in heaven, please be with my daddy on earth and if you can’t bring him back, please send a new daddy.” I prized that gift and proudly wore it every chance I got. (Serving as the pastor of two...
09/24/2009 - 11:18
Several years ago I spent an evening watching family slides with my parents. Now, that is a rollercoaster experience. One minute you’re thinking, okay, maybe I wasn’t such a nerd after all. The next minute you’re groaning with self-loathing. One particular slide comes to mind as I consider further the concept of thinking differently. In the slide I was covered head to toe with a thick layer of mud. You can clearly...
09/21/2009 - 15:58
Years ago, while in Southern Indiana, I passed out during a sermon. Not surprising when you think about it. People fall asleep during sermons all the time. I didn’t just fall asleep, however. I passed out and during my own sermon, to boot. I was rushed to the hospital. Ambulance called, congregation in shock, world spinning around me, people crying, people praying, emergency room in turmoil, the whole enchilada, as they say....
09/17/2009 - 13:42
To many he was the Principal, the “Fessor”, their Senior Bible teacher and to Bob McGhee’s mother, he was a co-worker. Everyone who met him knew him as Elder George Smith. He was habitually up at 4:30 each morning to commune with God. Sometimes I’d sneak down the hallway and listen to his prayers, standing just outside his study. In addition to the names of students, colleagues and many others, I’d hear my name...
