THIS MORNING, I sat on the backyard deck for a little while. It had been a busy week like most lately. It was unusually quiet outside....

AFTER THE FUNERAL, back inside her house, I meandered down the hallway to the other end, away from the ladies in our family who had...

I GREW UP in a time when mothers would boil real chicken eggs on Easter weekend and gather their children around the kitchen table for...

I SHALL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL to the gadget people in my family who invested in the cutting-edge technology available in my first five...

IF ANYONE IS SKILLED at something, it's easy for them to demonstrate that ability. The other day a clever line from an online job...

I MADE THE DEADLINE for Christmas cards from Shutterfly to receive them by Christmas AND received extra discounts! I believe I’ll get my...

(Inspired by Alice ) (7 Meditations from Psalm 34) 1) NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, say, “Thank you!” to God—every chance you get! It's always...

He’d grown up “going to church.” Many understand the nuances of that statement. And so, before he committed to non-employment, he wanted...

AN ANCIENT RIDDLE frames our personal change-for-the-better this way: “The edge of a sword becomes keener through honing, and the fragrance of the plum blossom sharpens in the bitter cold.” Life can be harsh sometimes, right? We have good times and bad. But if we have also learned by experience that extremes can make us stronger and better. . . if we allow it. We can decide to turn hard times into great times because, through time, we discover that we have that power. Since w

I HAPPENED UPON a friend the other day, and as friends do we immediately began to catch up. It was good to spend time with someone I...

WHEN I WAS A CHILD I was allowed to be one. I will always be grateful to my parents for giving me that time, and for creating an...

SOLOMON SAYS there is “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to...

For her seventh Birthday Remembering Rayleigh Elyse (A Poem from Pappa) All she ever really wanted Was to be loved—as a human. To know...

AS I ENTER and exit my bedroom there is a portrait of you in the hands of your Uncle Ron, Rayleigh. I’ve grown accustomed to it being...

In a world where people scream for violence Against those they disagree with, Or whatever their reason may be, There is a sweet voice...

AS I UNDERSTAND IT, the critical difference between Knowledge and Wisdom is this: Knowledge is having all the facts (or at least...

EVERYONE I KNOW has many concerns. I sometimes listen as friends entrust their woes to me. I used to attempt advice. I don’t do that...

BIRTHDAYS CAN BE SUCH FUN celebrations. We made it one more year! My wife and I have a running joke throughout our time together, which...

AS THE YEARS have come to pass, my attitudes and opinions on a variety of topics have evolved. One such topic is “Tension.” I’ve reasoned...

AROUND MY SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY, one of my uncles played for me a recording of some Bluegrass music. I had never heard that sound. To be...