Holiday
Declared in Congress, July 4th, 242 years ago today: “… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” Taking notes… Truths... we don&
Current Event
We’ve entered a key stage here, friends. Emotions are heightened. The environment seems to be intensifying, almost by the hour. People are noticing; they’re talking. Individual observers are reacting in individual ways. Individuals vary in the ways they respond. There is not one sole, correct perspective; the Intramuralist
Daily Life
I did it again. Can you believe it?! And it was on the way to church… to church — for goodness sakes!! The light had turned green, and yet the Rogue driver in front of me didn’t move… … one Mississippi… two Mississippi… HONK! Ok, it really wasn’t that loud;
Daily Life
Seriously. What if it’s me? What if I’ve always said to love my neighbor as myself but then I intentionally choose some not to love? What if I’ve announced my pursuit of the truth and nothing but the truth and then justify why it’s ok to
Current Issue
Today is World Refugee Day… how fitting, as we find ourselves currently in the middle of a troubling, muddled mess — a mess where so many are shouting, it’s hard to actually hear. I get the shouting; passions often elicit a strong response. Also true is that political positioning is
Current Event
Amazing how one of this past week’s most trending topics focused on what's in the Bible… What’s biblical? What’s not? And how does that apply to me? Do I know what’s in the Bible? Have I ever read it myself? And what things can
Current Issue
Kate Spade. Anthony Bourdain. Two celebrities who were admired by many. Two celebrities who “had it all,” so-to-speak. And two celebrities who hung themselves within days of one another. Spade was 55. Bourdain was 61. This is hard, friends. This is really hard. For any who have lost
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Becoming prevalent in the ’80’s, primarily employed by rappers and comedians, note Wikipedia’s following definition: “A mic drop is the gesture of intentionally dropping one's microphone at the end of a performance or speech to signal triumph. Figuratively, it is an expression of triumph for a
Current Issue
With multiple celebrities recently joining the known chorus of disrespectful communicators, it would seem wise to wrestle with what free speech is — and is not. Let us first acknowledge that freedom of speech does not mean we can say whatever we wish, whenever we wish. We can’t yell “fire”
Current Event
When the NFL recently announced their new policy that will fine teams if players on the field fail to stand during the Star-Spangled Banner, a rousing chorus again ensued in regard to whether or not kneeling during the National Anthem was appropriate behavior. In case any of us were
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“I often wonder if sports have become too important to us,” said this diehard Purdue-Reds-Bengals-Colts-DrewBrees-StephCurry-Pacers-Fever-Florida-and-growing-Ohio-State fan. We seem to have forgotten that sports — at their core — are a game… … “A form of play… especially a competitive one played
Current Event
[Originally penned 3 years ago, when my oldest was graduating from high school. My sense is the wisdom still applies...] For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven… A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time