The National Retail Federations says Americans will spend more than $18 billion this week on Valentine’s Day candy. Nor will the observances stop just because it’s past Feb. 14. My wife and I generally avoid restaurants the weekend before or after this made-for-merchants holiday. We don’t want to encounter all the SRO lovey-dovey crowds. The…
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Hurricanes, fires, and mudslides are among the destructive forces that have struck the nation in recent months, leaving billions of dollars in damage and rebuilding work in their wake. The question that presents for people of faith is whether they should look to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help them recover. A recent…
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Although the majority of my income now comes from book ghostwriting and editing jobs, I still write articles occasionally. That includes a forthcoming feature for Today’s Christian Living. The story is about Every Home for Christ (EHC), a ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Historically, it has focused its attentions outside this country. So, EHC…
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I finally got to see a neurologist this week, more than a month after my second trip to the nearest emergency room for a check on the continuing problems caused by a pre-Thanksgiving tumble down the stairs. After regularly misplacing work papers, forgetting routine details, and fighting tiredness, I wanted to talk with a doctor…
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Although the historic date (Oct. 31, 2017) marking Martin Luther’s protest of Catholic Church practices that sparked the Reformation has passed, its worldwide influence lives on. One example is the newly-opened Museum of the Bible (just blocks from the U.S. Capitol) maintaining an exhibit on the historic event. Then there is another continuing display at…
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A tsunami of complaints about sexual abuse not only toppled a seemingly-unending tower of powerful men, it led Time magazine to name the collective “silence breakers” their 2017 Person of the Year. Even more figures tumbled after the story released. Many held their collective breath to see who would fall next. However, all this news…
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Next week will mark the 30th anniversary of “The Drive.” Most football fans will instantly recognize the reference to the infamous 98-yard charge led by famed quarterback John Elway. With the game on the line and the Super Bowl awaiting the winner, that rally led to Denver tying the game 20-all. The wind taken out…
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For years, one of my favorite scriptural passages has come from James: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow” (James 4:13-14 MEV). As with so many treasured ideas,…
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Between the burgeoning popularity of soccer, fears of concussions, and various political and social controversies, football is having a tough time these days. And yet, though decades have passed since I could fling around the pigskin, I cling to my fondness for the sport. Try as I do to grasp the rules of soccer—and I…
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I don’t know your opinion of former President Barack Obama, but his recent step in reporting for jury duty elevated my view of him. After all, as the one-time leader of the free world, with a schedule far busier than the average American’s, he could have easily gotten excused. The reasons could have ranged from…
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