A few weeks ago our associate pastor Dr. Rodger Murchison gave a delightful children’s message centered on the joy of giving. In it he recollected when he was eleven years old and made this discovery in planning, preparing and giving his mother a Christmas gift. As I...

I have added a few more books to my reading list for 2008. Like I have said before, not every book was a good book, but every book gives me an opportunity to dialogue.  If you would like to dialogue further about any of these books mentioned here or those I have...

Charles Dickens penned this opening line in his book A Tale of Two Cities almost 150 years ago. Could these be such times today? Our financial structures have been shaken to the core and whether you are a custodian cleaning bathrooms or an executive pondering...

There is so much in life that is not fully appreciated until it is a memory. Relationships come quickly to mind. When Amy and I were newlyweds we lived on a very meager income, rented a garage apartment that smelled of mothballs, and did not have a television set for...

I try to keep a log of books I have read each year. Throughout the year I make periodic updates to this blog as I finish a book. Please visit the above tab titled "Reading Lists" that covers books I have read since 2005. Not every book was a good book and not every...

You could say this is “Part 2” from last week’s article. We have returned from our camping trip and, as always, there are more tales to tell along the hiking trail. This time I had company – my family. It was Amy’s idea that she and the boys join me and I thought,...

Earlier this month Amy, the boys and I camped somewhere in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains. We try to camp there at least once a year and every year has a new adventure: poison ivy from the firewood; an unexpected rain coming through an unexpected hole in the...

Last weekend it was out with the old and in with the new. I am referring to my small raised-bed vegetable garden. I cleared out the old tomato vines and pepper plants and reconditioned the soil with a mixture of horse manure and organic fertilizer. Finally it was...

I am a newbie to the “Facebook” world, but through the persistent persuasion of our younger ministers I am now an official Facebook account holder. To the uninitiated, Facebook is an online networking site that is yet another way individuals can connect with one...

…Well, not really. But the pair of shoes I am currently using for jogging is in need of replacement. Over the years I have developed quite a pile of smelly, worn out shoes. Some I retire to yard work. Others are still in decent enough shape to wear casually. Still...