“Do not gloat when your enemy falls;when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,or the LORD will see and be displeased.”—Proverbs 24:17–18 I recently came across an article about public reactions to the murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. As expected, many expressed shock and horror at the senseless act. But it also included…
In 1996, America lost its mind over a $30 toy. Tickle Me Elmo—a giggling, shaking plush doll—created a shopping frenzy that turned ordinarily rational parents into warriors. Store clerks were trampled. Fistfights broke out in toy aisles. Parents paid $500, $1,000, even $1,500 to scalpers, desperate to fulfill their child’s Christmas wish. My daughter was…
In 2025, bad news hit from all directions. It wasn’t just a slow trickle; it was a deluge. The federal government shutdown left 1.4 million workers without paychecks, creating immediate, kitchen-table hardship for families nationwide who suddenly couldn’t cover rent or groceries. A Pew survey found that 85% of Americans believed politically motivated violence was…
Growing up in the 60s and early 70s, we lived in a little crackerbox house—three tiny bedrooms and one bath, bought for under $11,000 in the early 1950s. We had no air-conditioning, just a big attic fan in the hall that sucked air through the open windows. It didn’t cool anything, but it made summer…
I wake up most mornings around 5:00 AM. If you were to ask me how my mind feels at that hour, I wouldn’t say “clear and open.” I’d say it’s overcast with a chance of showers. I usually need at least one cup of coffee before the fog lifts. But lately, I’ve realized I need…
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” — Colossians 3:23 I spent two days filling in as a substitute for a 6th-grade class. Being back in that environment reminded me less of my old routine and more of Hurricane Harvey. You know that…
Yesterday, I filled in as a substitute for a young teacher friend of mine, spending the entire day with sixth graders. When the bell rang for the first period, the room remained eerily empty. Just as I stood up to investigate, a small head poked around the doorframe: “Can we come in now?” Apparently, students…
As I look at the calendar this morning, I see it’s December 8, just a little over two weeks until Christmas. The days between Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to grow shorter every year, and there’s a sadness in that for me, because somewhere deep inside is a little boy who thought Christmas was never going…
Yesterday handed me two milestones in this little 40–day writing experiment of mine, one welcome and one…less so. On the happy side of the ledger, this page slipped past 2,300 followers, and for that I am genuinely grateful. Most days, a marker like that would be the headline in my mind. But not yesterday. Yesterday’s…
Long odds, unlikely outcomes, overwhelming tasks, and insurmountable challenges—for an unknown writer trying to reach readers in the vast ocean of global voices, the journey feels like all of these things at once. In my own mind, the endeavor sometimes feels nearly hopeless. Meanwhile, content creators who spin manipulative yarns about historical figures or legendary…
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly . . . But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water . . . (Psalm 1) Living along the…
If you have had a serious job interview in the last 30 years, you have likely been asked the dreaded question: “What is your greatest weakness?” It is the easiest question to botch. To keep antsy seniors focused after spring break, I shifted our economics lessons to life skills—including finding jobs that pay a living…