I was graced with a blast from my rock-music-listening past the other day — Bob Segar’s “Shame on the Moon.” I enjoyed plenty of his songs more than that one, I should say. And (James 5:16 time) I very much preferred several of his songs that were entirely inappropriate in terms of content. But a…
When does a negative observation become whining? When does leaning on our brethren for comfort become burdening them with our problems? Is “venting” every once in a while an appropriate response to stress? I have no easy answers for such questions. If you do, please share. Perhaps asking yourself questions such as the following can…
Since I’ve already discussed spiritual applications from political matters such as primaries and debates, I thought I might as well complete the cycle and go all the way to election day this week. It serves little purpose to discuss why it is that Candidate X aspires to win a particular election. Ostensibly it is an…
Political primaries are intended to be a “survival of the fittest” ordeal. If you have the stamina, popular support and financial backing to win state contests and accumulate delegates, presumably you would make a worthy nominee. As far as such things go, it’s probably as good a process as any, and better than most. There…
A mandrake is a flowering plant native to Bible lands. It bears fruit somewhat like a plum, extremely fragrant. The root of the female version (and yes, plants often are male and female) forks to resemble the lower half of the human body. Mandrakes have been associated with fertility for centuries. There is absolutely no…
So-called faith healers insist that the faith of the one being healed is essential for the success of the healing. The Bible does not support that assertion. In fact, Luke 9:38-42 indicates that it is the healer’s faith, not the faith of the one healed, that is essential. The disciples did not have sufficient faith to cast out the demon; the faith of the demoniac and/or his father is not discussed.
Every time I drive to my parents’ house in central Texas, I tell the family to be on the lookout for zebras. The hot, dry environment is similar to the African savannah, making it perfect for exotic game ranches. Of course, wild animals prefer to avoid open spaces in general, and noisy areas such as highways in particular. So our vigilance — well, mine — went for naught.
Guess what we saw Friday, not 100 yards from the highway? Four zebra, big as life.
A couple in Mongolia recently ate raw marmot meat, which is apparently a thing in Mongolia. It is believed to be a health boost by the locals. (A marmot is a rodent, sort of like a woodchuck or large squirrel. I prefer them braised or fricasseed, but that’s just me.) The couple contracted bubonic plague and died — which I think we can all agree is pretty much the opposite of “a health boost.”
The resulting quarantine held up the lives of 118 locals and tourists for six days. The danger appears to be over now, so our family vacation to Mongolia is back on. Get back to packing, girls.
Inflation in Brazil reached an astonishing 2,000 percent in 1993. Prices for everything were increasing overnight, literally. It’s a phenomenon known as hyperinflation. Paychecks were immediately cashed and spent, since they would be worth significantly less the next day. Planning for the future was impossible.
I was recently injured while making popcorn. True story. A stray kernel decided to pop within the fluffy confines of the bowl instead of in the popper — hardly unusual. But this one sent a piece of hot bran straight into my right eyelid. If I had that eye wide open at the time, it could have done serious damage. As it was, I only had nagging pain for a couple of days — a small price to pay for a good story, I say.
