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Preparing for a Successful Migration
For some reason, we have fickle hummingbirds. Some of our friends put up hummingbird feeders and have plenty of “customers” all summer long. That’s not the case with us. We have a few at our feeder in the spring when hummingbirds first start appearing in our part of the world and then they disappear. Actually they disappear only to reappear much later in the summer or very early fall. I don’t understand, but that is the way it is for us. As I’m typing these words, we once again have hummingbirds. It is a joy to watch them. They are amazing creatures. Thanks to a comment made by Donna the other day, they can also give me…
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You Find What You are Looking For
I recently got to spend some unexpected one-on-one time with my middle child while he was in a rare talkative mood. I heard a lot about Star Wars, Harry Potter, and certain musical aspects of the Sonic video games. However, my favorite part was when he got around to telling me about connections he has made in his Bible study. You see, Daniel looks for connections in his study. In fact, I think he already has an idea for a pretty amazing study book at the ripe old age of 16. If you know him, you know he loves the Old Testament books that detail the lives of the kings.…
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Maybe We Need a Zookeeper on Social Media
Early in the pandemic in England, one wildlife park had five parrots donated within just a few days of each other. Pressed for space, the park put the five birds in the same area and the birds got along well. However, when the park recently reopened to the public, the zoo had a problem: the birds had spent the last few months alone, and had “taught” each other to use rude and profane language. So, in an attempt to keep things family-friendly, the zoo recently had to take the birds off of display. For about seven months now, we have been holed up and, even if we are out and…
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He Chose Twelve
Have you ever begun a part of a baseball game that began with what I guess could be called an unusual ceremony? The ceremony begins with two people who are chosen as captains of the teams. Without going into detail, the two people grasp one baseball bat “hand over hand” until the person whose grip is the highest on the bat gets the first choice for his team. The captains then alternate making choices until all the positions on the team are filled. Believe me, I know how it felt years ago to be standing there while name after name was called, but none of those names was mine. After all these years, I…
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The View from My Chair
On September 15th I had a new knee joint put in my right leg. It is amazing to live at a time when a two-to-three hour surgery and a two day stay in the hospital results in having a joint that will eventually be pain free if you follow the doctor’s orders and do what the physical therapist asks you to do. In just a little over two weeks I have made great strides in my balance and walking. I’m so grateful for the home health care nurses and the physical therapists who have helped me tremendously, but that’s not what I want to talk about in this post. When I…
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Satan Loves Our Fear
“I’m just scared…” How many sentences have you heard over the last few weeks and months that start with that phrase, or something very similar? “I’m scared about what will happen if Biden gets elected.”“I’m scared about what will happen if Trump gets reelected.”“I’m scared about what this virus is doing to our country.”“I’m scared that some people will never come back to church, even when the coronavirus has a vaccine.”“I’m worried about kids not having a regular school year again.” Certainly, we could go on, but are these–and many, many other similar sentiments–commonly heard and shared with the world right now? And I want to suggest that our enemy,…
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Children of God…Online, Too
It may seem to be a little (or a lot) disingenuous to see a post on social media from somebody who has fairly recently limited his exposure to social media, but that is what is going on here. Sometime in the distant past I signed up for an Instagram account and a Twitter account. I have no idea why I did that because I may check Twitter once every month or so and cannot remember the last time I “just browsed through” Instagram. About the only social media platform I still use on a somewhat regular basis is Facebook. Not long ago, I made a significant change in how I use it. I made…
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What to Bring to Bible Class
At Central, we are blessed to have restarted Bible classes this month. It has been an exciting time, and our congregation has handled things very well. Though we have had to change things a little (only one adult class, some children meeting in different–larger–rooms, masks required), it is such a blessing to be able to learn in these environments again. I am also excited to see other congregations restarting classes, or showing that they are headed that direction in the near future. For some, there have been no classes since March or April, meaning that students have not been in age-appropriate classes for half a year or more. However, with…
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“Give Attention to Reading”
I cannot do it! I think that almost every other member of my family can do it, but I can’t. I cannot read something (even a newspaper or magazine) while something else is going on. There is no such thing as something “playing in the background” for me. Before I realize it, whatever I’ve been reading is on the back burner and my attention is focused on the tube, the music, or whatever. I cannot even concentrate on what I’m trying to read if a conversation is going on in the same room in which I find myself. However, I have made an amazing discovery. Most of the things that can distract me from reading…
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Hate
Isn’t it a terrible word?!?! I have probably heard the words “hate” and “hatred” used more in the last few months than I have in most of the rest of my life. Sometimes it is used casually. We talk about things we hate: our weight, our hair, liver and onions, our job, Covid-19, and any number of other things which affect our lives. More seriously, it might even be someone’s behavior or attitude that we think we hate. However, there are other times we come in contact with hate or hatred and they are so recognizable that it is hard to miss. It could be something we feel, or something said or…
