In the Hall
I'm looking out to a white pool deck and white-dusted lounge chairs beyond. Snow and ice. Again. In Texas. TEXAS. We (and by we, I mean all of us, collectively, regardless of where we live, unless there are palm trees involved and then maybe you can apply this however you can, or just go play outside while you feel sorry for the rest of us) are a people tired of the winter. Tired of the Polar Vortex, and Snowmageddon. Tired of air that hurts our faces, and causes ice to form inside our lungs. Pure-D TIRED of the black, white and gray that color our days. It's hard to feel grateful when there is no green to be found in the garden or landscape, and everything looks stark and dead....
On the Edge
Our dog, Riley, has always been a couch dog. For our entire marriage, none of our dogs were allowed on the furniture. They were all big dogs, ranging from Doberman and Boxer, to Labrador and Golden Retrievers, and all well-trained on the niceties of living in a human home. But then we got Riley. Riley is a miniature Dachshund. Because of his tiny stature, everyone found his ability to jump on the sofa adorable, so we never stopped him. He has been the king of it ever since. Even as I type, he is here on the sofa, on his usual perch: The top of the back cushion. He's always gone straight for the highest point, presumably to gain the broadest view. It's right on the edge, though, and...
His Words
Each Sunday you'll find His Words instead of mine. Here He is, speaking through the apostle Paul...straight to your heart. Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not...
The Dad-blame Trees
I had a dream last night. First, let me tell you about an issue we've been facing since we've moved out here. You know all those glorious windows across the back of our house? The ones with the spectacular views? They are in every room, but in the living room, the TV is on the wall opposite them. Even with the correct type of screen, there is still a troublesome glare, especially during the summer, so daytime viewing (read: golf game) is less of a pleasure. The obvious answer is window treatments, but, because the living room is sunken two steps from the entry, even opened, the stack of blinds or shades would completely block the view from the front door. That may not sound like a...
Save Me!
I watched an episode of a TV show yesterday, where a pregnant woman and a doctor were trapped in a badly damaged car, after an accident in the mountains. The pregnant woman was due, and after the trauma of the accident, the baby started to come, but she had other bad injuries, as well. Because they couldn't get out of the car, the doctor field-dressed each injury as best she could, then tried to figure out how to deliver the baby in the front seat of the car. The baby started to deliver breach, adding to their problems, and now the baby's life was in danger, even more than it previously was. After some heroic moves on the part of the doctor, the baby was successfully delivered, just...