Monthly Archives: May 2022

The Heart of Friendship

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Just because you’re close to somebody doesn’t mean you’re actually close to somebody. The original Siamese twins were a memorable case in point. Chang and Eng (who later took the surname Bunker) were born in 1811 in Siam, or modern-day Thailand.  They were conjoined twins who were united at the sternum by a five-inch strip of cartilage.  Chang and Eng did everything together. … Read more »

Moving Forward

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On June 6, 1944 – D-Day – Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to begin the liberation of Europe from Hitler’s Third Reich. The beaches were not created equal.  Pointe du Hoc is an imposing limestone bluff between the Omaha and Utah landing sites.  Atop its 100-foot cliffs, the Germans installed guns that were capable of lobbing shells into Allied… Read more »

Unexpected Angels

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Mary Sue and I had been married for exactly six days.  I wanted to do everything right to let her know that I was a person she could trust for – well, for the rest of her life. It was the last day of our whirlwind honeymoon road trip to Florida.  Her childhood best friend would be married the following day in… Read more »

The Disasters that Save Our Lives

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Shortly before his 17th birthday, Craig Barnes and his brother came home from the Christian camps where they had been working for the summer. They were PK’s – “pastor’s kids” – and their identity had largely been shaped by the predictable rhythms of home and ministry. All that changed when they returned to discover their parents were getting divorced.  Their mother had… Read more »

A Very Big Idea

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Back in the 1980s, Phil Vischer had a big idea. The puppeteer and amateur filmmaker dreamed of developing a creative way of teaching kids how to discern right from wrong.  Along the way, he would introduce them to Bible basics. His big idea led to Big Idea Productions, which led to VeggieTales – the ongoing adventures of Bob the Tomato and Larry… Read more »

Running the Race

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Two weekends ago, more than 20,000 runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelchair participants left the starting line of the OneAmerica Indy Mini-Marathon.  The race is one of the world’s premiere 13.1-mile annual events.  It begins and ends in downtown Indianapolis, and famously includes a single two-and-a-half-mile lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the “500.”  For some participants, the Mini-Indy is the… Read more »

The Richness of Being

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Year after year Stumpy and Martha attended the fair in their home state, and every summer it was the same story. Stumpy was tantalized by the old-fashioned biplane in which anybody could take a ride for ten dollars, and Martha was disgusted by such an obvious waste of money. “Ten dollars is ten dollars,” she would always say.  And Stumpy would go… Read more »

The Real Story

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Just a few months ago, most Americans couldn’t have located Ukraine on a map. Even after saturation coverage of that nation’s plight since Russia’s invasion last February, few people are aware that Ukraine has been intermittently trampled by powerful neighbors from both the east and the west over the past two centuries.  Every recent generation of Ukrainians has been burdened with… Read more »

Your Next Step Forward

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Most people think that medieval theologians got it mostly right when they were conjuring up with their rogue’s gallery of Seven Deadly Sins. With regard to the behaviors and attitudes that assault our life with God, pride, anger, lust, greed, and envy are no-brainers.  Gluttony might be a bit of a head-scratcher.  But sloth is the “deadly sin” that seems most… Read more »

Holding on For Dear Life

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Dwight Edwards, of the Grace School of Theology in Texas, recalls the time that he and his family attended a church social event. As they walked into the crowded community room, Edwards’ youngest son – who was then about four – was holding on to his dad’s pants leg.  By the time they had made their way through the crowd, however,… Read more »