As a "son of the South" I've heard people say "Bless your heart" all my life. And the irony is that this phrase that almost sounds like a prayer, is really a versatile phrase American Southerners use to both bless AND curse. And it all depends on how it's used....
Do you mind if I get on a soapbox today? Thanks! Someone can be truly sincere AND sincerely wrong. It doesn’t help good people to be more concerned about their fragile feelings and ignore the danger they are in by heading in the wrong direction. Sometimes, speaking the truth in...
Folks, there’s just one use for a cross. No ambiguity. No “shades of meaning.” The only use for a cross is to kill someone. Sorry for the stark language right off the bat, but there’s just no way to dress this up to make it more palatable. Crucifixion means...
St. Paisios said, “Sometimes the devil deceives us and makes us unable to be pleased with anything; however, one can celebrate all things in a spiritual manner, with doxology, and secure God’s constant blessing.” The older I get, the more I see gratitude and the cultivation of gratitude that is the...
You remember this, don’t you: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever. If it doesn’t come back, it never was.” While I find this sentiment a bit saccharine for my tastes (I have a deep suspicion of sentiment since I am convinced...
What if every time you turn around, no matter what happens, it ends up helping you? It seemed like it was one of those days. All the traffic lights were green. Even the cars in front of me were moving along at a good speed. My favorite song came...
“I know a shortcut!” And with that, me and my buddy promptly got lost going to a friend’s house! You see, I remember the days before GPS! Yes, I’m THAT old. By the way, are you aware that we now have a generation growing up that will never know...
I looked out at the congregation and said: “If Kmart had a Blue Light special like this, they’d sell out in a minute.” Of course, you don’t know what a “blue light special is. You may not even remember KMart! Suffice it to say it was a marketing trick that...
Sometimes it’s just time to move. I mean there comes a time in your life when the day has passed for contemplation, planning, and consideration and the time comes to act and act fast. But you are never going to be ready for that moment in your life without preparation....
There’s one word that those who know me best would NEVER use to describe me: Gentle! I don’t know if it’s my “creative” use of language or just my deep suspicion of spineless mediocrity, but I am rarely what you might call “gentle.” I tend toward the “over-the-top” and...
