“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” This saying has been around a long time and been attributed to several famous and not-so-famous people, but it rings true, doesn't...
The act of communication is an amazingly difficult task, because we humans communicate on so many levels: Verbal (obviously), Visual (both in writing and gestures, facial expressions), Auditory, and Sensory. We communicate, intentionally and unintentionally along all these spectrums all the time. And guess what, we still struggle with...
I laughed out loud when a comedian started talking about words that seem to contradict each other. Phrases like "Jumbo Shrimp" and "Military Intelligence" and "Government Efficiency." They just seem to cancel each other out! On a more serious note, St. Anthony the Great, the desert dweller, once said: "A...
We were talking in Bible study recently about "First Principles." It seems this is something we so rarely consider, but if we miss fundamental truths, we always end up in places we never intended to go. For instance, if you don't build your life on the fundamental truth that when...
Janice Joplin had a hit record after her death in 1971 called "Me and Bobby McGee" that had a line that said "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." Kind of a depressing thought, but then again, the song is about the memory of a happier time...
"Uncle" Lawrence owned a farm, and when I was a boy, my brother and I would visit this magical place. It was the first time I'd seen how chickens were raised and eggs gathered and cows milked. But what fascinated me most was when I saw the mule being yoked...
You've met them before. They are the ones who aren't the center of attention, but they recognize who should be the center of attention and introduce those folks to everyone else. These people seem to have the knack of recognizing who should lead, who should speak, and who should...
"Petulant child!" That's what I thought as an obviously frantic mother was trying to placate a toddler throwing a fit. Nothing seemed to work. He didn't want the toy, then he did want the toy. The treat mom tried to give the boy was accepted then thrown down and...
Paul Tillich once said "Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith." Interesting! In reading the Psalms, I encounter such true life and even great heroes of the faith questioning God or struggling with momentary doubt about God and His plan. The Psalmist struggled with...
At the risk of really dating myself with this movie reference, I remember the movie "Love Story" and the famous line from the film "love means never having to say you're sorry." Hey, it was the early 70's and we were just coming out of the tumultuous 60's. We...
