Both my parents served in our nation’s military during World War II. My mother was a communications specialist for the Navy in San Francisco. She relayed secret messages to and from Washington D.C. and the Pacific Theater. In this case, the word theater means area of battle. My father served in the Mediterranean and European …
2022
Amazon and Sears
Sears used to be the world’s largest retailer. They are still in business, but are like the old gray mare—they ain’t what they used to be. Did Sears executives think the internet was a fad? Did they think people would always shop at malls? Who knows? One thing is clear. Instead of fighting for their …
Who Was Harriet Tubman?
She was a great American, I will tell you that. She risked her life to save slaves in Antebellum America. (Antebellum means before the Civil War.) Her first mission was all about saving her family from being split up. She was about to lose them. The owner of the plantation was going to split them …
Do You Know Anyone Who Still Owns a Typewriter?
My mother used to have a typewriter. It was portable and came in a forest green carry-case, like a small suitcase. You had to open and detach the top of the case to use it. The typewriter was attached to the bottom of the case. In high school I learned QWERTY, the official way to …
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.”—Louisa May Alcott
Do you have a fear of evangelism? Don’t know what to say? Don’t know enough? Afraid of offending a friend? Not good at answering theological questions? Or maybe it’s something else. Fear easily stops action… or initiates it. Some fears are life-threatening. Other fears are merely an inconvenient detour to your goal. When I was …
What are Fishers of Men?
At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus gathered His disciples. Andrew and Simon Peter were first. He said to them, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” They followed, and the rest is history. At the very end of His ministry, Jesus commanded His disciples to, “Go ye therefore, and teach all …
How I Learned to Avoid Evangelism
Why do most Christians seem to avoid evangelism? I’ll tell you why I avoided it. As you know I was raised a protestant. I embraced the Jesus Movement which started in my teen years. An important emphasis of the movement was to witness, share the gospel, evangelize. I went to parks and public places with …
What is a Stumbling Block?
Have you ever stumbled? Did you stub your toe? Ouch! Did you fall? BOOM! Or did you catch yourself and regain your balance? Whew! One night I was at my sister’s. We were taking things to the car, preparing to leave. I always get to carry the heavy and bulky things. It was late. It …
Do You Have JOY?
Has anyone ever asked you this? JOY means: Jesus first, Others second, and You third. It is an anonymous acronym that doubles as a quote. It’s cute, clever, and (blast the air horn) wrong—because you should never let anyone get between You and Jesus. This is not to say that Others are not important. They …
Praying With the Saints
When I was a young protestant I was taught that prayer should be from the heart (spontaneous). When people prayed reading a prayer I sat through it in judgement and didn’t listen to its content. After becoming Orthodox I came to accept that written prayers, especially by Church Fathers, were of benefit. Not only were …