Good morning: One day every summer the local A&W restaurant offers free root beer floats. It sounds great. Who wouldn’t take them up on the offer? But I discovered it wasn’t quite as wonderful as advertised. There were restrictions. The free float was only a modest size and was only offered certain hours for as…
Good morning: With ever-growing concern over the rapid spread of the coronavirus, efforts are being made to track down “patient zero,” the first person to be infected. The hope is that finding that one individual will provide insights on everything from the exact cause of the illness to a potential cure or vaccine. The identity…
Good morning, Do you check expiration dates on jars in the fridge before you put them on the table, always wear a seatbelt in the car, watch your diet and faithfully take your medication strictly according to the doctor’s orders? Do you change batteries in the smoke detectors twice a year, lock your doors at…
Good morning: How do you know when a plan is good? It seemed like such a good idea to install a ceiling fan myself. I’d save money plus have the satisfaction of a successful DIY project. But it ended in frustration when I was staring up at a mass of dangling wires hanging from the…
Good morning: Are you clean? That probably depends on whom you ask. When questioned if he is clean, an eight-year-old may confidently tell his mom, “Yep, I’m clean!” But when she says, “Hold out your hands,” and sees how grimy and sticky they are, she will send him back to the bathroom to wash. “Boy-clean”…
Good morning, Can you buy happiness? Yes, at least according to one Nobel prize winning economist. He reports that as one’s income increases, so does the level of “life satisfaction,” up to an income of $75,000 per year. It doesn’t take much thought, however, to recognize that money is a very flimsy, superficial basis for…
Good morning: After several dreary, gloomy days, I haven’t heard anyone say, “This is great! This is my favorite time of year!” When the sun doesn’t shine and the day never gets any brighter than a dim twilight, it’s hard to feel very energetic or excited about anything. We yawn our way through the hours….
Good morning, In recent years several members of our Messiah family have been called into active military service. Unquestionably it is important, essential work in the defense of our country and its interests around the world. When the call comes, everything else becomes secondary. There are deadlines to meet, training to fulfill, and finally deployment…
Good morning, Of all the times to get a flat tire…I was driving on I-94 toward Madison on a cold, blustery Sunday afternoon when I suddenly heard and felt the thump, thump, thump. I pulled over and found what I had expected, a tire had gone completely flat. Lying under the van wrestling with the…
Good morning, The surprise phone call comes late one afternoon. Friends are in town and would like to drop by for dinner. You tell them that yes, they should come. You’d love to see them. But as soon as you end the call, panic sets in. They’ll arrive in an hour and you have no…