Category: General

Vacation: A Dream on Multiple Levels

Although much of my work now involves book editing and ghostwriting projects, I still write articles periodically for several publications (in the spirit of the 21st century, most are online). And every so often, I work on a story that makes me sit up and exclaim, “How cool is that!” Such was the case in…
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Taking Time for Others

When we planned a late-summer “get out of Dodge” getaway, it was mainly to visit old friends—not just in age, but longevity. As the years slip by and casual acquaintances fade away, relationships that endure for 40 years are precious. In this case, the reconnection was even more special: they taught the new believers’ class…
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Prophecy is a Gift that Keeps on Giving

In recent months our pastor preached a series on spiritual gifts, a subject often rife with controversy and criticism over the excesses often associated with prophecy and speaking in tongues. He has pointed out an overemphasis on tongues is the opposite of what Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:6: “Now, brothers, if I come to…
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“Pacman” Jones Stepping up to the Plate

With quarterback salaries mushrooming to the $40-50 million range, running backs getting dissed, and back-office deals attracting as much attention as the players, the offseason of the National Football League has been filled with drama. Fortunately, speculation, rumor and hype got a rest last night when Detroit takes the field in Kansas City, followed by…
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Laborers Can’t Afford their Own Vehicles

As we prepare to observe Labor Day next Monday, the question uppermost in my mind is: how can any worker turning out electric vehicles (EV) on today’s assembly line afford one? When Ford recently lowered its F-150 Lightning by about $10,000, it still left a sticker-shock-level price of $49,000. To buy one, a modest wage…
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All Hail to the Bacon

Bacon upsets some people. That’s what the president of the Macon Bacon discovered recently when he received a letter asking him to change the minor league baseball team’s name. “Macon Bacon’s glorification of bacon, a processed meat that raises the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases, sends the wrong message,” the letter said. It…
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Borrowing Ourselves Into Trouble

While the nation narrowly avoided plunging over the debt default cliff in June, kicking the can down the road for two years won’t resolve our bigger problem. Namely, our spendthrift ways that have tripled the country’s collective red ink over the past 15 years. If you weren’t already gasping over our gargantuan-sized problem, consider that…
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Streaming for Dollars

Blockbuster’s Super Bowl commercial, followed by reactivation of its website in March, and the rumored reopening of five outlets in the LA/San Diego area had plenty of people buzzing in recent months. The best I can determine, it was a combination of hype and imaginations run amok. Even I thought it was for real after…
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Christian Musicians, Singing to the Heavens

It’s only in recent times that I started listening to a Christian FM radio station that seems to play incredible songs every time I tune in. Since that’s usually only on short trips around town, I can’t claim to be a musical expert. Yet, when I recently asked the managing editor of a magazine I…
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The GPS Travel Nightmare

In these days of GPS on everyone’s phones, a Rand McNally Road Atlas may seem like an antiquated tool. But for those who consider me a dinosaur for favoring a printed map, consider what happened on our recent trip to Long Island. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack our atlas. After checking into our hotel in…
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