Good morning: “THIS IS NOT A DRILL.” Two weeks ago that message flashed across Hawaii and seized the attention of everyone. Residents and tourists alike sought cover. Many looked for more information via phone or online. Some contacted loved ones to express their love one last time in case the ballistic missile supposedly on the…
Good morning: What’s on your bucket list? What would you like to see or do before your time on earth ends? Or for that matter, what would you like to see happen in the new year? A bucket list might include a trip to Europe, skydiving, buying that dream home, or learning to play a…
Good morning: Every so often during the past month I’ve received a text or email with the same short message: “Your package has been delivered.” At first reading it might not seem like much, but it never fails to brighten my day. It means that something I ordered online and then possibly forgot all about…
Good morning: Still looking for that perfect gift for your spouse, children, co-workers, or friends? Every year I think, “This Christmas I’ll find the gift that will be remembered for years to come. It will be just the right size and color. It will be that gift which is treasured and used often, not the…
Good afternoon: No sooner was the turkey whisked out of the oven, the mashed potatoes put in a serving bowl, the pumpkin pie cut, the table quickly cleared, than everyone rushed out the door to snag bargains before they were gone. At least that’s the impression I got from the media reports today. Is that…
Good morning: Ready for the big day? If someone asked that question, how would you respond? Would you answer, “Sure, I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving!” Someone else might say, “I’m counting down the days till Christmas,” or “I’ll graduate in six months.” There are all kinds of “big days” for which we plan and…
Good morning: “…And they all lived happily ever after.” Who doesn’t like a happy ending to a fairly tale, a novel, or the latest movie release? Yet most people will also quickly add a disclaimer: “That would never happen. It’s just a story. Things never work out like that in real life.” The evidence would…
Good morning: Does God care that I woke up with a headache? Does the stress of your job show up on His radar? What about the sadness for which you can’t even find a reason? Do the passing, “little” things of life matter to Him, or is He only concerned with the more important spiritual…
Good morning: The Reformation should have failed. By any reasonable measure, there was no way that it could accomplish what it did. How could a “shabby little monk,” as Luther was called, possibly have any impact on the Roman Catholic Church, the most powerful institution in the world? Who would listen to him? Who would…
Good morning: Of all the words in all the songs ever written, perhaps none is used more often than the word “love.” Everyone recognizes that love is important to our relationships in life. But it also seems to be such a temporary, fragile thing. Countless upbeat lyrics and exuberant melodies express the joy of newfound…