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THE STEWARDSHIP OF SUFFERING

ALL OF LIFE IS A STEWARDSHIP. All of life is a gift from God to be lived in grateful honor to God and love to others. That certainly includes your talents, things, and time. It also includes your suffering, pain, and grief. I think we all would like more of the former and less ofContinue reading “THE STEWARDSHIP OF SUFFERING”

DO YOU NEED HOPE?

Do you need some hope today? Today marks a time of change and chaos. A different president will lead our country while almost half the people did not vote confidence in his/her leadership. In truth, much of the feelings will be marked by anger and angst. The state of our world feeds anxiety. Some seeContinue reading “DO YOU NEED HOPE?”

THE BIG LETDOWN

This is the anniversary week of one of the biggest letdowns in my life. Webster’s dictionary describes letdown as “disappointment, discouragement, unmet expectations.” Dr. Seuss wrote, “When something bad happens, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” Dr. Seuss alsoContinue reading “THE BIG LETDOWN”

THE KISS THAT ROCKED MY WORLD

It was so unexpected. I did not see it coming. I was not prepared for it. My reaction was one of shock, not pleasure. Uncle Fester kissed me. Right on the lips! Well, it was not really Uncle Fester from the Addams Family TV show. It was his doppelganger. His twin from another time andContinue reading “THE KISS THAT ROCKED MY WORLD”

The Pursuit of ‘Happyness’ (Revisited)

Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers wrote in our country’s Declaration of Independence about our God-given rights “to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” That made me think about God’s promise of happiness to Adam and Eve and their pursuit of that happiness. The promise and pursuit are very similar to our situations. ThereContinue reading “The Pursuit of ‘Happyness’ (Revisited)”

THE SHOE (a lifted tribute to a trampled brother)

This Winsday Wisdom has no redeeming value. It is more about a shoe sole than your soul. Why, oh why, would I stand on a football field holding one tennis shoe in the air as if I were carrying the Olympic torch? It was homage to my brother. What is homage? It is a publicContinue reading “THE SHOE (a lifted tribute to a trampled brother)”

STRESS

Ah ha, ha ha, Stayin’ Alive, Stayin’ Alive… Ah ha, ha ha, Stayin’ Aliiiiiive… This past week was my annual heart stress test. I was not looking forward to it. I felt uncertain whether I was up to the challenge and a little concerned about my health condition. The recent record heatwave added an excuseContinue reading “STRESS”

Side by Side Rewind

Another football season has begun. That means thrills for many and groans from others. This is a rewind account of my first college football experience which includes a WInsday WIsdom spiritual application for all of us. A capacity crowd filled the football stadium as my university team battled a Top Twenty opponent. The game wasContinue reading “Side by Side Rewind”

I FACE-PLANTED A WATERMELON

Face-plant—to fall suddenly and face-first, often resulting in an embarrassing situation. Have you ever thought or dreamed about becoming a writer? My mother was a high school and college English teacher. She taught writing skills. She wrote occasional newspaper and magazine articles. She wrote her books on the hearts of her students. Her most notedContinue reading “I FACE-PLANTED A WATERMELON”

DISCOMBOBULATED: OUT OF ORDER

DISCOMBOBULATED. I woke up one morning this week thinking about the word, “discombobulated.” DISCOMBOBULATED. I could not shake the thought. What in the world happened? Now this is how I imagine my mind works. There are two marbles rolling around in my head. One left brain marble and one right brain marble. Every once inContinue reading “DISCOMBOBULATED: OUT OF ORDER”