As August draws to a close and we near the end of summer, I can’t help thinking of summers past. They usually included a trip to visit family, old friends, or do some sightseeing. None of that in 2020, since COVID-19 made us reluctant to travel too far or mingle with large crowds. Given this…
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A couple years ago, I helped a retired businessman from California compile his memoir. His experience included smuggling Bibles into the Soviet Union and China in the mid- to late 1970s, a time when that literally meant risking your life. Some historical research I did to flesh out background details of his story were a…
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The recent coronavirus resurgence set people’s teeth on edge. Especially parents waiting to see whether their school will conduct in-person classes soon or return to spring’s online environment. Like everything else, the situation is fluid. Aside from school, it remains to be seen whether congregations will continue holding in-person worship services or—like a number of…
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Like so many other states, our governor here in West Virginia issued a mandatory mask order a month ago for anyone venturing out into public. It was yet another sign that no matter how tired we are of the coronavirus, this bug isn’t going away any time soon. Yet, while few will relate to my…
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With the resurgence of COVID-19, social unrest, and economic upheaval grabbing the share of news headlines lately, the demise of the personal transporter this month isn’t ranking at the top of the public’s consciousness. Yet the demise of the Segway is a sad phenomenon. It’s one that reminds every would-be inventor that it doesn’t matter…
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With cries of “fake news” and Facebook-fed rumors hurtling around, it’s easy to take the value of local news coverage for granted. Or, it was until the pandemic came along. As a former newspaper reporter and editor, I was used to keeping up with current events each day. Then in mid-March, along came so much…
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Our oldest great-nephew graduates from high school this week, but we won’t be there. The last time we checked, even his parents weren’t sure they would be admitted. In late June, a day before our great-nephew was originally scheduled to graduate, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave the green light for outdoor ceremonies of up…
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While I spend the majority of my time editing or revising books, I still do some article writing for a couple denominations. They included a recent, heartwarming story about Overbook Assembly of God of Philadelphia, whose members were well-suited for the challenges of this year’s pandemic. That’s because they trained for disaster by organizing considerable…
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Whether you make it to a lake or ocean this summer or not, warm weather is still a good time to kick back and enjoy a good beach read. If you are looking for an enjoyable trip through the pages (paper or electronic), I nominate the recently released Conspiracy of Grace. As the subtitle says,…
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In early 1983, I set up shop in our small spare bedroom with a postage-stamp-sized desk, a portable typewriter, and no financial reserves or line of credit. Back then, I had no idea I was a trendsetter in the work-at-home environment. Indeed, halfway through that first year when income was so sparse some kind church…
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