Even Birthday Candles

Even Birthday Candles

These were the classes that made the school day worthwhile: Math, English, and French. It’s because of the ‘lightbulb.’ You know that moment when the new math concept fell into place and the all-important light came on? Or, when the verb conjugating finally made sense...
Read anything good lately?

Read anything good lately?

I’ve recently had an ‘aha’ moment. It’s a silly one, but just something I’ve never thought about before. Book publishers have creative artists on staff who design dustjackets so that the books they publish will have greater instant appeal to their target audience. I...
Clothed From On High

Clothed From On High

We’re probably all familiar with the story of the Emperor who had an ego/wardrobe problem. His subjects were mostly pre-convinced of the beauty of his new, exotic raiment and therefore unwilling to admit to the scandalous truth of his bared ‘royalty.’ The oohs and...
Diamonds have inclusions, too

Diamonds have inclusions, too

My stopping to self-reflect for a minute or two reveals a flawed, inner character. Of course, it may have pleasant overtones, some social tact, a couple of helpful tendencies, and a quick, toothy smile, but deep down there are ‘issues’ lurking, often undetected. Come...
On the Easel

On the Easel

On the wall in my office is a simple watercolor of a single artist’s paint brush, laid horizontally. Printed discreetly beneath the brush is this quiet, artist’s prayer: “Paint in my life a portrait of Jesus.” I treasure this art print, a gift from a Vineyard...
How Then Shall We Worship?

How Then Shall We Worship?

American cartoonist H.T. Webster, for his comic strip, The Timid Soul (circa 1924), created his character, Casper Milquetoast, who was described as the man ‘who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick.’ Today, the term, ‘milquetoast’ refers to any timid soul...