Today was the day. Friends and family spent time together, in the little town of Gardner, Kansas, celebrating Mom. She died on February 11 of this year (2021) and left the aches and pains of this world to go live in Heaven. And I was thankful we were celebrating mom, and not just mourning. For the past several years I called Mom just about … Read the rest...

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I remember a young lady telling me about The Joshua Tree when I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico back in 1987. I was booked there for two weeks, and she and couple of other friends asked me if I’d heard of that album by the band U2. And they asked because we’d all been in a friendly conversation about Christian values and principles in … Read the rest...

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Georgia seems to be on a lot of people’s minds right now. And by coincidence and chance, the song “Georgia On My Mind” (sung by the incomparable Ray Charles) went to number 1 on the charts on this day (November 14) back in 1960. Life is full of little twists and turns and coincidences like that. And it’s cool when they pop up. At … Read the rest...

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Let’s jump into my virtual time machine and zoom back to the third quarter of the twentieth century. As the years zoom past the concave, heat resistant time machine windows, notice the fashion and hairstyle changes. And the cars starting to look bigger, wider, and boxier. And, then we slow down and ease up to our destination. A large, secular high school at the … Read the rest...

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Who has never felt the burning need to be vindicated. And for a little more explanation, check out these synonyms for that word. Acquitted. Absolved. Exonerated. Liberated. And the dictionary says an informal definition is “let off the hook.” Did you ever do something bad and wish you could be let off the hook for it?  Yeah. Me neither.   But what makes you worthy of … Read the rest...

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I’ve been doing this series of posts based on reading the Psalms. And in case you don’t know, Psalms is one of the sections of the Old Testament in the Bible. I’m up to Psalm 25. And when King David mentioned “the sins of my youth,”I thought, “Wow, I can relate.”  Not only the sins of my youth are forgiven. Thank God for how … Read the rest...

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Imagine this for a little bit. All your life you’ve had a great relationship with your dad. And I know that’s a hard pillow to swallow for most people these days. But that’s why I said “imagine this.” Ok, you and your dad have always been able to talk to each other. And you’ve always agreed about everything. And the close bond has built … Read the rest...

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Close your eyes and picture this scene. A long, lush, green meadow gently winds and flows down through a quiet valley. And a herd of sheep, with coats of wool from pure white to chocolate brown, grazing in juicy grass up to their hips. A clear as crystal creek glides peacefully through the meadow. And the vast variety of birds, butterflies, and wildflowers virtually … Read the rest...

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When I was about 4 years old, my parents split up. And my younger brother and I lived with our Grandparents for a while. And one thing I remember, fondly, about my Grandmother was how she sang hymns while she did her housework. One hymn went like this: I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Remember that one? And even … Read the rest...

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Wow, have I got a deal for you?! Just imagine the hardest thing you could possibly do. And now imagine having all that hard work done for you. But I bet you’re not thinking what I’m thinking. And you should be. Because what I’m thinking is way more valuable to you. (Boy, I’m an arrogant so-and-so aren’t I?)   “OK, Tony. I’ll bite. What’s … Read the rest...

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