Bring on the Sunshine
Gray weather feels a lot like taking a field trip to Hell. I don’t like overcast days. Whenever the sky gets like this, I sit by a windowsill and entertain the idea of composing Russian poetry.
Inspiration
Dearest Lynn
Dear Lynn,
It’s weird. Weird knowing that you won’t be reading this today. You always read my stuff. It’s how we met. Which only raises questions about your taste in literature.
The Story of a Simple Woman
She works hard. Too hard. And when she’s not cooking in the kitchen of the medical rehab, delivering trays to patients, she’s a full-time single mother.
The Gate of the Year
It’s still January, and even though we’re “resting in the Lord” (Psalm 37:7), we may still need inspiration to make it until Spring.
Birmingham: My Home Sweet Home
It was an average weeknight in Birmingham when I stood atop the Vulcan statue. Snow on the ground. I was looking at the city below, standing beneath Vulcan’s massive butt cheeks.
A Birmingham Angel
Birmingham. I met the old woman for coffee. She was small and slight, with a mane of white. She spoke with a thick Latin accent.
“I have a story for you,” she said.
My New Year’s Resolution
It’s the New Year and, judging by people’s resolutions, they think they’re supposed to be doing all sorts of impressive things like losing weight, saving more money, training for marathons, etc.
The January Yuck
January–the worst month of the year. Christmas is still 11 months away, and the skies are cloudy all day.
Angels in the Outfield
Someone emailed me and said I was an idiot. Which is true, but not for the reasons they cited.
The Time I Made a Graduation Speech
It’s weird. Standing on this stage. In this arena. I’m looking at a thousand faces. Many of them are about to be college graduates. And they’re all looking back at me so hopefully, so full of wonder, so wide-eyed and eager, as if to say, “I hope this idiot’s speech isn’t too long.”
A New Year with a Blind Dog
I brought in the new year with a blind dog. She was seated beside me, wagging her butt. I think she could feel the energy in the air.
God Keeps His Resolutions
Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? Do you keep them? If you do, you’re in the minority. But God keeps all of His resolutions. You can count on it!
Christmas with Becca
Christmas supper. The little girl beside me ate ferociously as though she had not eaten in 13 years when in fact she had already eaten two breakfasts, one Christmas lunch, half a bag of tortilla chips, a quarter of a cheese log, and various holiday snacks which all featured onion dip as a main ingredient.
While You Were Sleeping
It’s almost Christmas. Stop rushing. Take a deep breath. Allow yourself to slow down and remember what the season is about.
Merry Christmas
Thank you. That is the purpose of this column. I want to say “thanks.” I don’t know you, but I believe in the good you do.
A Very Unholy Night: A Soldier’s Christmas Sacrifice in Combat
On Christmas night in 2010, in Iraq our base came under heavy attack from insurgents who launched 92 rockets, reportedly of Iranian origin dating back to the 1970s.
Christmas: A Time For Memories
Christmas is a time for memories. I have two childhood memories that have stayed with me all of my “x” number of years, and they are as clear as if they happened a couple of years ago instead of six decades ago.
Let it Snow, Let it Snow
Christmas Eve. Southeastern Kansas. The middle of nowhere. Kansas is one of those places that gets a bad rap. People speak of Kansas like it’s Death Valley, or the hindparts of Mars.
Christmas–A Little Bit More
The Grinch was right! Christmas doesn’t come from a store. It comes from focusing on the reason that we celebrate.