A couple of positive reviews last fall of The Book Thief had me interested in taking in the film during a spate of interesting movies that hit theaters in the pre-Christmas time frame. Although we failed to make it during its initial theatrical run, the bonus behind today’s rapid DVD release cycles means that just…
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Despite my forthcoming addition to the Medicare ranks in 2016, I don’t want to spend my golden years as a grumpy old man. I’ve seen it happen to friends and others—advancing age stirs a litany of complaints about: the younger generation, one’s aches and pains, or the gripe, “In my day (blah, blah, blah)…” A…
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Drug addiction is a scourge that affects every state and countless municipalities across America. A prime example is the governor of one of our least-populated states devoting this year’s state of the state speech to the “full-blown heroin crisis” gripping Vermont. I grew up in a city of about 55,000 in northern Ohio. Yet last…
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The outpouring of sympathy and concern after the recent suicide of actor Robin Williams demonstrates how this talented genius affected millions of lives. Ironically, real life seemed to imitate art, reflecting his 2010 film, World’s Greatest Dad. Having never seen it, I didn’t know about this satire on the grief industry until a friend posted…
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By Ken Walker – There’s a reason Jesus used allegorical anecdotes—parables—with His audiences: He knew the power of story. Stories inspire, motivate and encourage in a way that enlivens teaching. In modern times, few authors illustrate the power of story better than Max Lucado, whose books have sold approximately 80 million copies. His use of…
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By Ken Walker – Charles Darwin gained scientific fame through his On the Origin of Species, the 1859 book that established the evolutionary viewpoint taught in most public educational systems. Yet the scientist’s favorite topic wasn’t evolution, but carnivorous plants. These fascinating carnivores lure flies, spiders and other bugs (and in one case, a hapless…
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By Ken Walker – With the fading away of July 2014, I couldn’t let the month slip by without noting that this month marked the one-year anniversary of cutting off our cable TV service. At the time, the financial realities we were facing left me down in the dumps. We couldn’t afford the most basic…
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By Ken Walker – At an age when old friends are talking about how much they enjoy retirement or how they’re looking forward to it, the people who inspire me are those who keep going regardless. Recently I interviewed Erick Schenkel, executive director of The Jesus Film Project. Used in every nation of the world,…
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By Ken Walker – If you have never read the amazing inspirational story of Castaway Kid, I highly recommend you pick up a copy. It is the memoir of Rob Mitchell, a stockbroker in Greensboro, North Carolina who grew up in an orphanage after his mentally unstable mother placed him there at the age of…
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By Ken Walker – After weighing in recently on the folly of legalizing marijuana sales, I observed a spate of new news stories about pot, including the state of Washington’s initial foray into retail marijuana sales. Although Washington was supposed to issue up to 20 retail license this week, on the eve of this step…
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