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"'Mad' Mel's Lethal Mouth" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 7/22/10 (640 words)   Well, at least he didn’t blame the Jews this time.  In excerpts from taped phone conversations released in recent days, we hear Mel Gibson calling his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva every filthy name imaginable, and threatening to kill her and bury her in a rose garden.  Gibson has gone, in a relatively short period of time, from movie hero...

"The Murder of Marriage:  An Unsolved Mystery" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 7/16/10 (640 words)  Many years ago I stumbled onto the delights of murder mysteries and, inevitably, became hooked. I believe it was Jewish writer Harry Kemelman and his remarkable amateur sleuth, Rabbi David Small, who administered the addictive drug. Then came the descent into the depths of detection: Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Erle Stanley Gardner – purveyors of fascinating schemes and characters that irresistibly draw one into layered webs of intrigue. The desperate reader feels compelled to solve the burning question:  Who done it? ...

"Hilarious High School Bloopers" By: Rusty Wright with Meg Korpi. Posted 7/6/10 (600 words)   “Worst analogies written by high school students” had me laughing till I ached.  Discovering their true source reminded me to practice what I preach.  (Short op-ed)

"We All Need to Feel Useful" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 7/2/10 (700 words) A friend of mine recalls growing up in a well-organized home where the four children each had many assigned chores every day. On one occasion his parents took in a foster boy of about three years old. In the evening, as the kids and their mom systematically went about preparing for supper, this little tyke, who was closely watching all this activity, suddenly burst into tears. Banging his spoon on the table, he proclaimed, “I want job! I want job!” They quickly gave him something to do....

"Life Lessons Learned from Linkletter and His TV Program"  By: Jan White.  Posted 3/30/10 (520 words)  If you can remember watching Art Linkletter’s show, “House Party,” on TV, you’re telling your age.  His program ran on CBS radio and TV from 1945 – 1967.  My family and I watched the program on our black and white television set when I was growing up.  We enjoyed Art’s interviews with the children and their unpredictable responses.  Many of their humorous comments were later published in a series of books, “Kid’s Say the Darndest Things.” ...

"A Perfect Game in an Imperfect World" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 6/14/10 (665 words)   There’s no crying in baseball, as Tom Hanks so famously said in “A League of Their Own.”  But all that changed on June 2 when Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga tossed a perfect game, was robbed of it by a bad call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce, and the unfolding events turned into one of the most inspiring sports stories to come along in years.  In an age of whiners and self-professed victims, when so many want to blame their own shortcomings or failures on others (or on the world at large), this was more than just a teachable moment.  It was a revelation....

"Remembering A Life Well Lived" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 6/11/10 (850 words)  The sports world is mourning the death of a true legend. John Wooden was an amazing man who touched our culture in remarkable ways. Although he reached many milestones in his life, he failed to achieve one that was on the near horizon. He fell short of reaching his 100th birthday.  The one who became known as "the wizard of Westwood"...

"Reality Catches Up With Helen Thomas" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/11/10 (600 words)  Helen Thomas, an 89 year old fixture at White House daily press conferences since the Kennedy administration, was recently unceremoniously removed from (or resigned from) her position. The fact that she no longer occupies the ‘front and center’ seat in the pressroom is not the most amazing fact, but that it took so long for it to happen....

"What Will You Do in Heaven?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/11/10 (600 words)  “…I know you’re looking down on us from Heaven, like so many we have lost along the way…”  This line from a Mariah Carey song came to mind recently, when a friend asked me in an email about my perspective on Heaven.  My friend’s father died recently, and his young son asked him if Grandpa is now an angel ...

"Seeking the Perfect Outcome" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 6/11/10 (745 words)  Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn once described baseball as “a game of failure,” noting that even the best batters are unsuccessful about 65 percent of the time.  On the evening of June 2, 2010, nobody on the Cleveland Indians roster succeeded in getting on base after a talented, young right-hander had taken the mound for the Detroit Tigers.  With two outs in the ninth inning, Armando Galarraga had retired 26 batters and was on the verge of pitching the 21st perfect game in major league history.  But to err is human, and a split-second decision by a veteran umpire...

"Paying the Daily Cost of Freedom" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 6/3/10 (810 words)  The name John Finn probably doesn't ring a bell.  The fact that so few
people know about him speaks volumes about our country and what it values.  When he died at 100 just before Memorial Day 2010, John Finn was the nation's oldest Medal of Honor recipient and the last to earn the medal for bravery during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  On December 7, 1941, Finn was stationed at a naval air station on the island of Oahu....

"Hello Dalai, Goodbye Truth" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/28/10 (640 words)   The Dalai Lama was in New York City last week, promoting belief in Buddhism — or whatever other religion happens to strike your fancy.  In an appearance at Radio City Music Hall, he explained:  “I never say Buddhism is best.  Buddhism has been best for me.  Each person is different.  I cannot say what is best for 100 people:  Their own religion is best for them.  It’s like medicine.  We cannot say pick one medicine, this is best for everybody.” ...

"Is Casual Sex Losing Its Zing?" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 5/20/10 (560 words)   Hot news from CNN: Some university students are giving up casual sexual activity because they feel it’s not fulfilling.  What’s going on here?  (Short op-ed)

"Ernie Harwell Has Made It Home" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 5/13/10 (710 words)  Every year, countless baseball fans would gather around their radios and wait to hear the familiar verse from the Song of Solomon:   "For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."   Quoting Scripture wasn’t merely an annual ritual for legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell.  Faith was the hallmark of Harwell’s personal and professional life....

"Now I'm A Terrorist" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/13/10 (565 words)   I've been called a lot of things through the years for my beliefs, but never a terrorist.  At least until now.  My high crime is having written opinion columns over the past few years for the Christian conservative site WorldNetDaily (www.wnd.com).  WorldNetDaily is, without question, one of the most influential news and opinion websites on the Internet.  As such, it has become a lightning rod for the Left.  Most recently, in a published report funded by the Guggenheim Foundation, WorldNetDaily was identified as being part of a “Network of Anti-Abortion Domestic Terrorists.” ...

"National Day of Prayer:  A Progressive Adventure" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 5/5/10 (540 words)  For six decades our country has called us to a National Day of Prayer.   Indisputably a great notion. But how do we make the most of such a day?  With that dilemma in mind what follows is a simple suggestion for making the most of this year's National Day of Prayer. I call it a progressive adventure.... A logical place to start is at your community's Veterans Memorial.  Spend some time in silent reflection...

"Beware the Dangers of Social Networking" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/5/10 (610 words)  In just a few years, an explosion of social networking sites, such as FaceBook, Twitter, U-tube, etc., have arrived on the Internet  These sites allow us to find lost friends and family members, get and stay in touch with others.  Social networks are often used to spread prayer requests to others, raise funds, and widely disseminate information quickly.  But some use these sites (especially Facebook) like an electronic diary, spilling out every thought, conflict, joy, fear, etc., for the world to see....

"Be Careful of Your Witness" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/5/10 (600 words)  The framers of the U.S. Constitution believed that certain rights are bestowed-not by the Constitution or by man-made laws, but, rather, by God, and that those rights include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  From that declaration, people have fought to expand that definition, to include rights in the list that are...

"Reminders at the Curb of Life's Chapters" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 4/23/10 (590 words)   One bright and sunny afternoon earlier this spring I noticed that my neighbor had put some stuff out by the curb presumably for the next day’s garbage collection. Garbage piled out by the curb is not something that normally captures my attention but this was different. T he items were a wooden crib, a plastic red wagon, a stroller and a child car seat....

"Marital Strife and Your Health" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 4/19/10 (570 words)  

Being married can mean better health, but being happily married seems to matter most, says current research.  Learn to fight fair.  (Short op-ed)

"Slow Down to Speed Up" By: Linda Downing. Posted 4/16/10 (660 words) 

Many of us feel used by time, powerless to choose how we spend such a precious commodity. With so much to do and so much rushing about, it is hard to believe that becoming more productive and less stressed demands we slow down.   Spending 35 years in prison for a crime he did not commit ...

"Instant Communication Hinders Real Connections" By: Jill Darling. Posted 3/30/10 (700 words)  Lauren and Ashley got together for lunch at their favorite haunt. They started in on conversation that had been on hold for too long while checking the menu and placing their orders.  Fifteen minutes into catching up on the latest, Lauren’s phone rang and she answered.  They began sharing again, but twenty minutes later another call came in and then another.  Their much-needed time to reconnect was hijacked.  While connecting with people electronically, we’ve managed to neglect relationships with those we care about in real time and space....

"We're All Prodigals When It Comes to Health-Care Reform" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 3/30/10 (600 words)   Despite all of the complaints from the right that liberals play fast and loose with their agendas in order to get elected and the liberal mainstream media shills do a poor job of exposing this tendency, I still wonder if the Congress we have, awful as it is, is not simply a reflection of our own miserable selves.  We’re profligate spenders swimming in a sea of debt against a riptide of consumerism....

"Press the Attack!:  God's Knight" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 3/30/10 (720 words)  The holiest week for all of Christendom is here. We celebrate the Passion of Christ, the suffering servant, but also King of kings and Lord of lords.   Were he still among us, one warrior-servant whose deeply abiding faith and military prowess helped shape him into a legend — a latter-day knight — would be solemnly worshiping. He also likely would be recalling another Easter Sunday 38 years ago at almost precisely this time of year, in a quaint but war-ravaged South Vietnamese village called Dong Ha....

"Canadian Overcomes Adversity to Impact the World" By: Jan White.  Posted 3/30/10 (500 words)  The fourth child of Scottish immigrants, Jim was born in Ramsay Township in Ontario, Canada on November 6, 1861.  By age 9, he had lost both of his parents.  His grandmother raised him until her death two years later.  Then, he lived with a bachelor uncle.  In 1875, Jim entered high school, but attended less than two years.  Later, he did complete his high school equivalency in a year and a half, graduating in 1883.  Then, he attended McGill University in Montreal where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education, participating in football, rugby, and lacrosse.  Jim often visited the YMCA in Montreal....

"Congressional Leaders Deserve A Taste Of Its Own 'Medicine'" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 3/24/10 (685 words)    Is there any conscience, any capacity for shame left in those souls driving the “health care” blitz? First there were all the bribes and kickbacks. “Just business as usual,” we were told, the “way things get done on the hill.”  Though there’s a modicum of truth in this claim, it’s 98% jive. That’s because this particular bill ...

"Oscars Take Right Turn" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 3/18/10 (680 words)   Hooray for Hollywood!  They actually held an Oscar ceremony last week in which there wasn’t a single word of left-wing lunacy uttered throughout the entire evening.  And some of Hollywood’s looniest libs — Alec Baldwin, Barbra Streisand, Sean Penn — were completely subdued in their appearances ....

"Mankind's Futile Quest for Self-Absolution" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 3/18/10 (650 words)  From time to time, a phrase, title or label will come to mind that seems so bizarre that I convince myself that it is a figment of my imagination, rather than a factoid from my past.  It might be a weird song that comes to mind periodically. Often, just as I convince myself that I made it up, the song will play over the air, or a stranger will be humming or singing it. ....

"Global Warming & Snowmageddon" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 3/3/10 (800 words)   The global-warming alarmists have hit some rough waters of late.  And, no, it’s not from rising oceans or melting glaciers.  Their “proven science” has proven to be junk science.  It’s collapsing all around them — unlike our supposedly endangered planet, which is holding up just fine.  First there was Climategate, the scandal that rocked the environmental science community ...

"Tiger's Faith-Road Home" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 2/22/10 (600 words) 

Tiger gets religion?  “It's up to me to start living a life of integrity,” affirmed golf’s superstar as he confessed to his affairs.  He says to save his marriage and children, he wants to balance his spiritual and professional lives.  Can he?  (Short op-ed)

"Please, No More 'Help!' " By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 2/19/10 (630 words)  

I believe it was Ronald Reagan who once said that the most dreaded words in the English language are, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help you.” More recently, Charles Colson, commenting on the 2000 page “Health Care” bill passed by the House of Representatives, evoked a similar theme, by suggesting an “even more terrifying” prospect: “I’m the government’s health care choices commissioner. Let me see your insurance policy.” The bill called for the creation of 111 new government agencies. That’s an awful lot of “help” that a lot of people don’t seem to want. I know I don’t....

"In Religion and In Science, Humility Has Its Place" By: Don Lindman. Posted 2/19/10 (630 words)  “Dark energy” makes up 74% of the universe, and scientists confess that after 10 years of study they don’t have any idea what it is.  This awareness has “shaken the fields of physics and astronomy, much as Copernicus did five centuries ago when he declared that the Earth revolved around the sun,” said Robert S. Boyd of McClatchy Newspapers, writing in the Detroit Free Press....

"Where Was God When. . ."  By: Don Lindman. Posted 2/19/10 (470 words)  The newspaper informed me that a child died senselessly in an auto accident, and my thoughts went back nearly 20 years—to 1991—when the child who died was my child.  Coming back from a ski trip Jill drove head-on into a semi-trailer truck on a rural highway.  The young man with her was badly bruised, but his life never was in danger.  Jill was killed instantly.  The automatic reaction of loved ones is to question where God was.  Why didn’t he intervene and stop the accident? ...

"To Many People, Christianity Doesn't Make Much Sense"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 2/19/10 (575 words)  Jews, Muslims, Unitarians, atheists, and agnostics are among a long list of people who find many Christian ideas incomprehensible.  For example, from its early years Christianity has confessed that God exists in three persons—Father, Son, Holy Spirit—but is never-the-less one God.  This belief, that Christians call “the Trinity,” is illogical and irrational, say the critics.  Illogical, perhaps, but true, reply Christians....

"Something Tangible" By: Linda Downing. Posted 2/10/10 (660 words) 

Sometimes we find encouragement in surprising places. If economic and natural disaster, terrorism, and other threats destroy expectation, then cynicism, like that in the first half of the 20th c., strikes. After two world wars, even some theologians said: “God is dead.” He wasn’t—and isn’t ....

"So, Abstinence Really Works?" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 2/10/10 (680 words)  In the world of adolescent psychology aimed at moderating teen sexual behavior, up is sometimes down and yes is sometimes no. But then, all secular science is that way ....

"Go Home" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 2/03/10 (650 words)  As I write these words, I sit with my first morning cup of coffee next to a bay window that frames a glorious winter wonderland scene. Some 15 inches of pristine snow, glistening under a robin-egg-blue sky, blanket our “God’s little acre” in Central Virginia. The birds that typically brave winters here gather around the feeders for their breakfast of sunflower seeds or suet. A blazing fire crackles in the fireplace.  Ah, home, warm and secure against the unusually harsh elements. No better place to be just now ....

"Choosing Life" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 2/03/10 (670 words)  Just when we thought the abortion debate had taken a backseat to the economy and poor leadership in Washington, along come Pam Tebow and her Heisman Trophy-winning son, Tim — with some help from Focus on the Family — to celebrate Life in vivid personification, and the pro-life movement has a first-and-goal at the one-yard line ....

"Ted and Gayle Haggard's Courageous Journey" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 2/03/10 (660 words)  When I first learned of evangelical leader Ted Haggard’s fall from grace through homosexual promiscuity, my heart immediately went out to him and his family.  Change the names and reverse the genders and you’d be looking at a situation more resembling the one my husband and I endured quite a few years ago ....

"Tim Tebow:  To Be or Not To Be, That Was the Question" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 2/03/10 (650 words)  Bob and Pam Tebow faced a decision.  The missionaries were expecting their fifth child and the pregnancy had been filled with one nightmare after another.  "The placenta was never properly attached, and there was bleeding from the get-go," Bob recalled years later. "We thought we'd lost him several times." ...

"What 'American Idol' Reveals About Our Culture" By: William E. Cripe, Sr. Posted 1/25/10 (525 words)  Another season of the wildly popular American Idol is underway and if you’re one of the millions who watch, I trust you will appreciate what I am about to say.  Week after week in these early stages of tryouts, we are “treated” to a montage of Americans who, with stars in their eyes, gyrate, rotate, vibrate, juggle and dance with a song in tow and a dream of being the next pop icon....

"Is Haiti Under A Curse?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/25/10 (600 words) 

Evangelist Pat Robertson opined that the Island nation of Haiti has been cursed because its people have ‘sworn a pact with the devil.”  Robertson stated that Haiti promised Satan that they would serve him if he freed them from the French.  Robertson says that Haiti has suffered all much poverty and destruction ever since.  His remarks sparked a firestorm of protest....

"Here's What Happened in Massachusetts" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 1/25/10 (900 words)  What bothered me the most about candidate Barack Obama was the revelation of his attendance at a church whose minister preached hate-America sermons on a number of occasions. Obama ultimately threw him under the bus and the largely un-churched mainstream media ignored it as a non-story.  But for a faithful churchgoer like me, it was really everything I needed to know about the man....

"Greed Almost Destroyed the World's Economies" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 1/25/10 (800 words)  In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote, “Money answers everything.” Should this strike you as something of a surprise, keep in mind that the wise king, wealthy as he was, was a man well acquainted with human nature and all of its shortcomings. He knew the power of wealth to bless or to curse....

"Global Warming's Glacial Blunder" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 1/25/10 (600 words)  “World misled over Himalayan glacier meltdown,” declared the disturbing headline in The Sunday Times of London.  What caused a major UN climate change panel to backtrack and admit a serious mistake in its prediction?  What insights does this episode offer about determining the truth?  (Short op-ed)

"Every Life Can Impact Many Others" By: Jan White.  Posted 1/14/10 (515 words)  Every life, both born and unborn, has the potential to impact many others.  According to Genesis 1:27, God “created man in His own image.” The Creator God has stamped His image on each us....

"Is This Tiger An Endangered Species?" By: William E. Cripe, Sr.. Posted 1/13/10 (640 words)  I admit I am a "real" golfer.  I subscribe to three different golf magazines, I watch golf on T.V. and in the off season I have my putter, and several wedges in my office to keep my "game" somewhat tuned for when the weather finally breaks in May.  I admit too that I was a huge Tiger Woods fan.  I heard about him when he was 15 and there was a buzz about him even then.  The word was that he could be the next Jack Nicklaus. He did not disappoint--until recently....

"Is God on Our Side?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/13/10 (605 words)  Politicians often accuse the so-called ‘Christian Right’ of believing they have God’s ear more than those of other political persuasions.  Many Christians do, indeed, believe God is on their side.  President Abraham Lincoln was once asked if he believed God was on his side.  Lincoln’s reply was, ‘… Let us not pray that God is on our side…, but let us pray that we are on God's side.’ ...

"Will You Seek God's Wisdom, or Play a Game of Chance?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/13/10 (610 words)  Many of the TV game shows are based upon human greed.  On the show ’Deal or No Deal’, one can increase their winnings by making just the right choices of suitcases.  ’Jeopardy’ allows one to wager all of their money (or even more than they have) in order to increase their take.  The granddaddy of them all was the funny and entertaining ’Let’s Make A Deal’ ...

"How to Navigate through Life's Storms" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/13/10 (605 words)  Turbulence during flight can be very unsettling, even for a seasoned flyer.  A storm bounces the huge aircraft around like a toy in the paws of a giant cat.  The passengers’ utter lack of control or ability to do anything to ease the problem is most evident.  During such times, we often pray that the storm will end quickly.  Sometimes, it does ...

"What Happened to Justice for All?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/5/10 (685 words)   Our editorial syndicate strives to avoid partisan political discourse. We do, however, tackle moral and ethical issues, wherever they arise.  Such issues have now arisen. In Congress. In the dynamics of the health care debate.   Citizens and their representatives disagree ...

"Discover the Best Advice for the New Year" By: Jan White.  Posted 1/5/10 (510 words)  The wit and wisdom of Benjamin Franklin made his Poor Richard’s Almanac popular.  He published it every year from 1733-1758.  Almanacs traditionally include a calendar, facts about outstanding dates and events, and weather predictions especially useful for knowing when to plant crops.  Another thing almanacs are known for is practical advice....

"Christmas and Easter Cannot Be Separated" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 12/18/09 (610 words)  Following a parochial school Christmas program, one person complained about parts of the program.  “Why did the pastor have to intersperse so much about Christ’s crucifixion in the story of Christmas?  I wondered about those comments later that day....

"Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 12/18/09 (375 words) 

“Tiger, Tiger, burning bright/ Driving from your home that night/ Was it fate or destiny/ That made you crash your SUV?”  A bit of hope … with apologies to William Blake.  (Short op-ed)

"Dear Grandpa . . ." By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 12/14/09 (450 words)  Dear Grandpa:  Today my teacher told us that carbon dioxide is bad for our health and that the government is going to have to spend a lot of money trying to get rid of it. I thought carbon dioxide was good. Is it really bad like she says?  Virginia, age 10....

"Let's Have A Blue Christmas!" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 12/3/09 (585 words)  Have you noticed how many radio stations are playing non-stop Christmas music? How many times a day do you hear "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas?" I love that song, but this season I'm thinking the more appropriate song would be "I'll Have a Blue Christmas Without You."  By now you've heard about the four cops in suburban Seattle ...

"Climategate A Symptom of Modern 'Science' " By: Tom Flannery  Posted 12/3/09 (730 words) The “Climategate” e-mail scandal should go a long way toward debunking one of the great hoaxes of our time, anthropogenic (man-made) global warming.  An even greater outcome, though, would be the shattering of the idea that modern science is the unbiased pursuit of truth based purely upon the accumulated data, free from any political considerations, religious attitudes or other factors.  After all, when scientists...

"Spiritual Lesson Learned from Gate Crashers" By: Jan White.  Posted 12/3/09 (515 words)  The news media continues to find out more about the husband and wife who recently crashed the state dinner at the White House.  We now know they are aspiring reality-TV stars, apparently trying to profit from a publicity stunt.  No invitation can be found.   The couple shook hands with the President and had photos taken with the Vice President ...

"What Kind of Legacy Are We Leaving Future Generations?" By: Jan White.  Posted 11/25/09 (500 words)  When news reports announced that President Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, it brought to mind the history of the Nobel Prizes awarded each year and the man for whom they are named.  One news article stated that the Nobel Peace Prize is decided ...

"The Manhattan Declaration:  Christian Leaders' Call to Action" By: Jan White.  Posted 11/25/09 (525 words)  An historic event occurred on Friday, November 20, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. when during a noon press conference, the “Manhattan Declaration” was publicly released.  According to www.manhattandeclaration.org, it’s a 4,732-word statement signed by 149 Christian leaders ...

"Fear and Worry:  Two Wasted Emotions" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 11/24/09 (625 words)  The late Paul Harvey, would often lead in to the latest doomsday scenario by saying, "Just in case you’ve run out of things to be frightened about…, listen to this”.  Fear is sometimes used as a tool to control others and force them to surrender to the will of the powerful, and we are continually provided new reasons to fret over....

"Thanks-giving:  An Antidote to Whine Flu" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 11/17/09 (605 words)  Not a day goes by that we don't read about the swine flu in the media. Everyone is talking about it. Even denominational leaders are looking to minimize the risk of contagion at the Communion table. They are suggesting new ways for pastors to administer the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.  As we commune as families at the dinner table for turkey and all the traditional trimmings, it’s likely ...

"When Newspapers Die, A Part of Our Culture Dies" By: Jill Darling. Posted 11/17/09 (655 words)  My husband Pete gets up, starts the car, drives to the country store and gets the newspapers. This has been his morning ritual for 35 years, as it was his father’s for 65 years. Pete drinks a mug of coffee while reading headlines and checking baseball scores. He shares breaking stories with me. But filling me in on the latest doesn’t happen much anymore.  I’ve already seen the news ...

"Nonconformity:  A Key to Holiday Spirit" By: Linda Downing. Posted 11/17/09 (590 words)  Many suffer holiday overload. Borrowing last year’s political cry, “We want change,” we can make the winding down of 2009 a time of reflection and expectation in our personal lives. After all, it is difficult to pray for world peace if we are at odds with ourselves.    Change requires being unafraid of nonconformity....

"Jerusalem's Delicate Balancing Act" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 11/04/09 (585 words)  It’s easy to see why this city – bustling with spiritual, social and political contrasts – is the focus of so much world attention.  King David’s ancient admonition to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem” has significant modern implications. (Short op-ed)

"Is Rush A Racist?  And God, Too?" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 10/28/09 (750 words) With the election last year of Barack Obama we were told that we were at last entering a post-racial period in which race would no longer be the polarizing issue that it has been in this country for far too long.  Sadly, that has not turned out to be the case.  These days, the tables have been....

"When the Walls Came Tumbling Down" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 10/28/09 (695 words)   To many Americans, the saga of genocidal Communist imperialism is an ancient tale, seldom recalled except by a few old men, whiling away their hours on park benches. It somewhat resembles a Grimm fairy tale, with a big, bad bear that eventually decided to stop being quite so mean. There are characters whose names are dimly remembered: Reagan, Thatcher, Pope John II, and the Russian guy....

"Ahmadinejad's Holocaust Library Card?" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 10/28/09 (600 words)  Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said the Holocaust is a “lie” based on a “mythical claim.”  He should visit Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.   Can we get him a library card?  (Short op-ed)

"Signs of Our Times" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 10/13/09 (680 words) The United Nations called last week for a new global reserve currency to end dollar supremacy — just as Arab states reportedly launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using U.S. currency for oil trading.  Don't look now, but the dollar is under attack, and global elites who have long wanted a world currency believe that the iron is hot so it’s time to strike....

"Irving Kristol:  An American Treasure" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 10/12/09 (690 words)   Last May I emailed the eminent Irving Kristol, often dubbed “The Godfather of Neo-Conservatism,” asking his opinion about the direction of our country. As a total stranger far outside his intellectual and social circle, I had no idea if he would respond or not....

"War on crime focuses on the wrong weapon" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 10/12/09 (580 words)  The United States Constitution gives meaning and substance to our republic and our rights.  The Second Amendment states:  “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  A pretty straight-forward statement on the right to bear arms, isn’t it?  Depends on one’s perspective, apparently....

"Given Any Good Books Lately?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 10/2/09 (650 words)   A couple of years ago I picked up a seasonal Christmas job at a warehouse, working alongside a couple of college students. Both were quick learners who had no trouble with the required job skills. They were easy to get along with, and we had fun joking around, making fun of each other. I usually lost in the war of wits.  Now and then some serious matters arose....

"Honor Your Minister During Clergy Appreciation Month" By: Jan White.  Posted 10/3/09 (475 words)  “Thank you!”  We don’t say those two small words often enough to the many people who make a positive impact on our lives.  October has been designated Clergy Appreciation Month to remind us to say “thank you” in words and actions to our ministers and their families.  Ministers wear many hats, serving not only as preachers and teachers, but also as family counselors, business administrators, and sometimes even janitors.  Typically, the smaller the church the more hats they wear....

"School is No Place for Political Choir" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 9/29/09 (540 words)  As a kid in Sunday school, I learned to sing “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” As a child I believed those words. As an adult, I believe them with even more conviction. So do millions of likeminded parents and grandparents....

"Iranian Holocaust Denial and Peace Seeking" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 9/29/09 (600 words)  Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the Holocaust a “lie.”  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced his claim at the UN, presenting evidence.  Humans have a curious ability to reinterpret the world to fit their biases or personal aims.  Shouldn't truth be a foundation for seeking peace? (Short op-ed)

"Students To Gather For Prayer At School Flagpoles September 23" By: Jan White.  Posted 9/17/09 (500 words)  Millions of students across the nation, as well as area students, will gather for prayer at their school flagpoles on Wednesday morning, September 23, before classes begin.  They will join hands and hearts to pray for their friends, teachers, schools, government and their nation.  “See You At The Pole,” described as a student-led, student-organized event ...

"Winning the Battle of the Post-Vacation Bulge" By: Jill Darling. Posted 9/17/09 (700 words)  The vacation’s over. You’ve had two weeks of lazing around the beach and the pool in Florida and life is good. You’ve checked out the best seafood restaurants and eaten yourself into oblivion with all-you-can-eat shrimp slathered in butter, along with hush puppies, cornbread, fried pickles and Key lime pie.  You’ve unpacked the last of your clothes and ....

"A Paid-Up Eternal Life Insurance Policy" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/17/09 (600 words)  Legendary sports announcer Ernie Harwell recently announced that he has been diagnosed with incurable bile duct cancer, but has decided against surgery or other medical treatment.  He is ‘looking forward to this next adventure’.  Harwell stated that, because he trusts in Jesus Christ, he has no doubt that he is going to Heaven when dies....

"In Life, As In Football, The Most Important Quarter is the Last One" By: Don Lindman. Posted 9/17/09 (650 words)  The game of my life is in the last quarter.  I don’t know when that quarter began.  I got up to get a snack from the refrigerator and when I returned it had already started.  Occasionally life offers an overtime period as a short extension, but when you’re 75 years old you’re definitely in the last quarter of life....

"Longing to Simplify" By: Linda Downing. Posted 9/08/09 (690 words)  We long to simplify life, yet it seems impossible. Just as we fine-tune our personal paperwork and obligations, not to mention handle jobs and families, something changes or the unexpected comes along. Our well-worn armor threatens to crack....

"A Little Humility, Please" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/08/09 (600 words) 

“Is it all about me…or is it just me?”  An alarming trend today seems to capture the young in a sea of selfishness, arrogance and vanity.  This little catch phrase demonstrates the mindset of many of today’s young adults in the ’’Me’ Generation”.  The younger set has already earned the title, “The Me-Too generation”....

"Learning About Life in Aunt Bessie's Kitchen" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/08/09 (600 words)  Remember the popular book, ‘Everything I need to know, I learned in Kindergarten’?  The book offered such concepts as; share everything; play fair; don’t hit people; put things back where you found them; wash your hands before eating, and so on.  Well, everything I need to know, I learned in my Aunt Bessie’s kitchen! ...

"Is There A Cross In Your Life?" By: Jan White.  Posted 9/08/09 (490 words) 

Two days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, rescue workers made a remarkable discovery at Ground Zero.  Some called it “miracle debris.”  On September 13, they found a 20-foot cross made from two steel beams in the crumbled ruins of the World Trade Center.  The cross had landed almost upright when the North Tower imploded....

"When Ted Kennedy Met Jerry Falwell" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 9/1/09 (560 words)  When the lion of liberalism met the Moral Majority founder, some surprising, humorous, and positive things happened.  Insights on bridge building that could well inform today’s rancorous debates.  (Short op-ed)

"The Key to Real Prosperity" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 8/13/09 (610 words)  Rev. Frederick Eikerenkoetter recently passed away.  He was better known to millions as Rev. Ike, ‘The Success and Prosperity Preacher’.  For over forty years, Rev. Ike preached a theology of “Prosperity Now”.  Rev. Ike believed that God is waiting to enrich those who truly believe in Him, and who ask (or command) Him to give them their heart’s desire.  No need to wait...

"'Life Without Limbs' Inspires" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 8/7/09 (580 words)  Discouraged about your finances, employment, business, or rocky relationships?  Meet a guy – born without arms or legs – who will inspire you to face your challenges and dream big.  (Short op-ed)

"A Time for Starting Over" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 7/31/09 (660 words)  The summer of 1969 was a memorable one for us as a nation. In addition to the incredible achievement of landing a man on the moon, that was the summer that hundreds of thousands of rock and roll fans camped out on a farm in upstate New York for what was called “Woodstock.” It was also the summer that Senator Ted Kennedy was implicated in a tragic car accident near Chappaquiddick, MA.  But the summer of ’69 was a memorable one ...

"Acts of Forgiveness in the Aftermath of Atrocities" By: Jan White  Posted 7/31/09 (500 words)  Fifteen years ago in the country of Rwanda, militant Hutu tribesmen violently attacked their neighbors, the Tutsi, with whom they had lived peacefully.  The Hutu committed horrific atrocities against men, women and children, brutally murdering them with machetes and guns.  The survivors not only lost their families, but also lost ...

"Self-Control:  A Delicious 'Fruit of the Spirit'" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 7/24/09 (605 words)  “Somebody STOP me! “  It was a line in a Jim Carrie movie that we’ve heard in comedy routines, and in everyday life.  A more pertinent question is “Why don’t you stop yourself?”  Society today seems all too willing to accept the premise that any perpetrator of bad behavior is simply a victim, and it’s all someone else’s fault....

"Seeing We Don't See" By: Linda Downing. Posted 7/20/09 (620 words)  Even when people stare at the same scene or situation, our differing perceptions make us wonder if we are of like species. Let’s face it. Sometimes we scoff at what others hold dear. No matter how hard we try, some of us cannot see ...

"Burr Oak Reflects the American Psyche" By: Don Lindman. Posted 7/20/09 (500 words)  In one of the more bizarre crimes of this or any other year over 300 graves in suburban Chicago’s Burr Oak cemetery have been desecrated by cemetery employees, who emptied the plots and resold them to new customers, pocketing the money. The out-of-town owners apparently had no idea this was happening....

"Cheap Dates in a Down Economy" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 7/15/09 (720 words)  Sadly, the cost associated with a growing marriage is not immune from inflation. Dinners out add up. So do tickets for a day on the slopes, a night at the movies or a weekend at the beach. When you are paying off your kids’ college tuition, financing remodeling projects in an aging home and constantly quenching your car’s thirst for gasoline, money for dates can be limited (especially in this economy). Fortunately, fun times with your mate need not require a small fortune....

"Michael Jackson's Hideous Life and Death" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 7/15/09 (640 words)   The glorification of Michael Jackson had been going on for what already seemed, at least to anyone who hadn't taken complete leave of their senses, like an endless number of days when Congressman Peter King of New York injected a dose of reality into the situation ....

"The Grave Doesn't Write the Final Chapter" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 7/15/09 (605 words)  I recently lost a good friend and neighbor, Dan Goff from colon cancer.  Dan was a man of great integrity with a strong set of values.  He loved people unconditionally, and spent his life uplifting and encouraging others; always willing to volunteer his time and talents.  Dan was a talented musician and music teacher....  He and his wife, Iris played in the local concert band for many years.  On the evening before his passing, the concert band gathered on Dan’s front lawn to perform a mini-concert in Dan’s honor, to the great delight of Dan and his neighbors....

"True Wisdom" By: Jan Merop. Posted 7/8/09 (580 words)  Has there ever been a more intense need for wisdom than we have right now in our nation, in our world?  Financial stress has translated into lost jobs, lost housing and lost thinking.  People are asking, “Where do I go from here?”  “How can I support my family?”  “We were getting by on credit cards and debt, what happened?”

"The Man in the Mirror:  Will Michael Jackson's Legacy Live Forever?" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 7/8/09 (800 words)  When the news of Michael Jackson’s death began racing across the globe, television reporters worked feverishly to fill the voracious appetite of viewers eagerly seeking every sordid detail.   The amount of air time dedicated to him easily dwarfed the coverage usually reserved for a late head of state. As the media frenzy climbed to new heights, ...

"You Don't Say!" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 7/8/09 (560 words)  If you’re like me, you could use a good chuckle right now.  After all, times are messy.  Maybe this real-life humor will help cheer you up.  Reflections on using the right word at the right time.  (Short op-ed)

"Orphans We Can Ignore;  Corvettes We Can't" By: Don Lindman. Posted 7/7/09 (545 words)  Three hours at the largest Corvette show in the nation can teach a person some valuable lessons.  For three days aficionados of the legendary luxury sports car took over a large resort and convention center in a western suburb of Chicago.  Tens of thousands of people ... wandered several miles of displays and sales booths, gawking, lusting and sometimes buying pricey accessories....

"True Forgiveness is Costly" By: Don Lindman. Posted 7/7/09 (500 words) 

Suburban Chicago pastor Brian Coffey vividly remembers participating in a sixth-grade school yard kickball game.   The smallest player lay sprawled face down in the dirt, glasses lying several feet away.  She had been hit in the head by a ball thrown by the biggest boy.  Like typical sixth-graders, Coffey and the other boys who were playing looked at the girl and laughed....

"Getting Our Attention" By: Linda Downing. Posted 7/2/09 (630 words)  The news media whirled these past weeks. We are shocked, saddened, stupefied, but not yet satiated by ongoing events. Perhaps God is trying to get our attention.   In the movie, “New In Town,” the straightforward Christian asks the out-to-prove-herself CEO: “Have you found Jesus?” Her reply: “I didn’t know he was lost.” ...

"Jon and Kate, please wait!" By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 6/29/09 (600 words)  When she came home from college for the summer, my daughter wanted me to watch the reality show she and her roommates had enjoyed, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, featuring a family with twins and sextuplets.   As summer began, Jon and Kate’s marriage fell apart. The tabloids...

"Michael Jackson's death reminds us of our mortal dilemma" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/29/09 (615 words)  As with so many people around the world, I felt the loss of Michael Jackson deeply.  For many years my family and I have enjoyed his music and his videos. His was beloved by many, and he helped many people. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most charitable entertainer in history.  Michael's untimely death raised the question on the Internet and other media as to whether he was a Christian....

"Christians Issued a "Call 2 Fall" For Our Country" By: Jan White  Posted 6/29/09 (510 words)  On Sunday, July 5, Christians all across America will be participating in “Call 2 Fall,” a special time of prayer for our country.  Churches have been urged to set aside a definite time during worship services on July 5th to “call people to get on their knees and faces before the Lord in repentant prayer for God to reshape our lives and renew our land.”  Sponsored by the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., “Call 2 Fall” is simply doing what God says ...

"Investing In Marriage" By: Jill Darling. Posted 6/25/09 (650 words)  “What have you done for your marriage today?” The question popped up in a For Your Marriage radio ad and it piqued my interest. It’s uncommon to hear personal tips on marriage in the media.  The answers, which come from people interviewed on the street, were played in the ad....

"America:  An Endangered Achievement" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/25/09 (680 words)  For Father’s Day my very thoughtful daughter gave me a book I had intended to buy for myself (but procrastinated). The book is Liberty or Tyranny, by constitutional guru Mark Levin.  Levin grew up in Philadelphia and, as a youth, haunted the hallowed halls where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were birthed by the Founding Fathers. Enchanted by their lingering aura...

"America, Love it or. . . Just Love It!" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/25/09 (590 words)  America’s 133rd birthday doesn’t seem to be very ‘happy’.  Besides deep economic woes, our nation is under attack like never before, not so much from abroad as from inside our own citizenry, and even among many of our leaders.  Although it may be politically incorrect to stand and be counted for the sake of our nation, I am proud to be one who is willing to do so. Many accuse America ...

"What Kind of Father Are You?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/9/09 (600 words)  The survey asked, “What kind of father are you? The choices were: 1. Authoritative; 2. Controlling; 3. Nurturing; 4. Easy going; and 5. A push-over.  I pondered the question as it pertains to me, and came up with a choice that was not included in the survey:  All of the above.  Fatherhood done right is such an awesome responsibility...

"Faith Lessons in Unemployment" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 6/3/09 (650 words)  How does it feel to be laid off? If you can't answer that question yourself, there's a good chance you know someone who can. Countless numbers of people in our community understand what it's like to be unexpectedly unemployed... including me....

"No Country For Godless Men" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 6/3/09 (730 words) "Somewhere out there is a true and living prophet of destruction and I dont want to confront him.  I know he's real.  I have seen his work.  I walked in front of those eyes once.  I won't do it again....I think a man would have to put his soul at hazard.  And I won't do that.  I think now that maybe I never would."  These words, from Cormac McCarthy's terrific book "No Country For Old Men," are part of ...

"Punishing Tiller is Not Our Prerogative" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/3/09 (630 words)   During a quiet leisurely Sunday afternoon, I checked the internet and saw the first chilling headline: “Prominent Abortion Doc Gunned Down.” No name was mentioned, but in the annals of abortion infamy, the name George Tiller stands alone. The headline could hardly refer to anyone else.  Prominent” vastly understates the case....

"Graduates, How Are You Going to Live Your Lives?" By: Jan White  Posted 6/3/09 (515 words)  Now that you’ve completed your education and are looking forward to what the future holds, how are you going to live your lives?  Consider the words that a young man wrote when he was age 19.  His name was Jonathan Edwards.  As a boy, he loved books and nature.  One biographer described his passion ...

"Coping with Job Loss" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 6/3/09 (580 words)  I got an email recently from another laid-off colleague.  One more recession downsizing casualty.  I've been there, too.  How do you help a friend – or yourself – cope with losing their job?  (Short op-ed)

"A Little Piece of Quiet" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 5/20/09 (670 words)  Amazingly, New York City’s most famous island bears a remarkable resemblance to the island on which I live in suburban Seattle. Manhattan is about the same width as Mercer Island and approximately twice as long. In terms of housing, those who rent and buy tend to pay top dollar. An appreciation for the arts is noteworthy on both islands. But there are some distinct differences, too....

"When Christians Fail" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/20/09 (720 words)   It was bound to happen.  No sooner had Miss California Carrie Prejean taken a principled stand as a Christian against same-sex marriage in the Miss USA Pageant than someone leaked nude modeling photos of her, some shot when she was just 17, to undermine her message and discredit her as a messenger.  We see this kind of thing all the time ...

"Why Israel Will Survive" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/18/09 (710 words)   In his new book “The Late, Great State of Israel,” Jerusalem-based reporter Aaron Klein argues that Israel’s capitulation to those devoted to her destruction is threatening the future of the Jewish state.  He warns that, unless Israel changes course, she may cease to exist before very long.  Can this be true?...

"Memorial Day - A Day to Count Our Blessings" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/18/09 (585 words)  As we approach Memorial Day, memories of past celebrations of this holiday come to mind.  As a child, Memorial Day signaled the first holiday of the summer (although it technically takes place while it is still spring).  Memorial Day observance goes back to the Civil War, and was intended to honor and pay homage to soldiers ...

"A Memorial Day Meditation" By: Jan Merop. Posted 5/18/09 (510 words) The Rotarian Bell deeply resonated within my being as it tolled in memory of our friend – a tribute to a man who was courageous in life and death.    He had served honorably in the Air Force.  The American Flags draped on the entry table and another folded into a triangle on the alter table testified to his patriotism and service to our nation....

"Praying With Our Eyes Open" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 4/30/09 (640 words)  “… and Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness…” (Galatians 3:6)  Looking forward to the National Day of Prayer, I can’t help but focus on the past. When I think of those defined by faith, I picture a man named Abraham. In the family album of faith, his profile of courage is ...

"Demonizing Marriage's Defenders" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 4/30/09 (730 words)   A huge uproar has erupted over the fact that Miss California Carrie Prejean, a committed Christian, lost the Miss USA title when she took a stand for traditional marriage.  Not only did the homosexual activist and “gay” blogger Perez Hilton, a pageant judge, give Prejean a zero score for upholding biblical truth ...

"Pray for the USA on Thursday, May 7th" By: Jan White  Posted 4/30/09 (515 words)  Millions of Americans will unite in prayer during thousands of events taking place across the nation on Thursday, May 7, the 58th Annual National Day of Prayer.  Go to www.ndptf.org to search for an event in your city, county, or state.  The theme for this special day is “Prayer…America’s Hope,” ...

"A Date That Lives In Infamy" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 4/15/09 (650 words)  There are just two days on the calendar whose mere date convey their unique significance. One is July 4th. The other is today, April 15th. I find no little irony in this fact. The first date celebrates a hard fought freedom from a tax-hungry king in England. The second signifies the undeniable reality that freedom is not free and that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness still includes taxation....

"Basic Instinct, Showgirls & God?" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 4/15/09 (600 words)  Self-described “Hollywood Animal” Joe Eszterhas, the blockbuster screenwriter famous for steamy eroticism and dark thrillers, says God found him and life’s never been better.  (Short op-ed)

"Clinging to the Cross" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 4/10/09 (730 words)  ike most pastors, my father had a fascination with the cross. He loved hymns that celebrated the mystery of Good Friday. His study at church had more than a few books on the atonement. Unlike many of his Evangelical colleagues, the wall over his desk boasted a crucifix. Even when...

"Idol Worship is Idle Worship" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 4/07/09 (690 words)   First, a confession. I don’t watch American Idol. However, I’ve probably seen at least a thousand promos for the show. I think I get it.  Next, a little history. American idolatry goes back several decades. In the 1940s crowds of cute bobby soxers swooned over a very skinny but highly talented young baritone...

"Easter Says Evil Doesn't Win" By: Don Lindman. Posted 4/1/09 (545 words)  Most Christians believe in the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus’ resurrection is considered to be a miracle, one of the greatest miracles of all time.  Which is exactly why non-believers don’t believe.  We live in an age when most truth is determined by the test of science....

"The Fifties Family - The Best of Times" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 3/30/09 (700 words)   If you’re old enough to remember Friday nights at 8 o’clock in front of the old 17” black and white TV, you’ll probably believe what research reveals about family life in the 1950s. We’ll get to that in a minute.  Chances are you were watching  ...

"Evolving Family Law:  Denying Children's Best Interests and Godly Wisdom" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 3/30/09 (750 words)  Family courts increasingly are asked to rule in child custody cases resulting from homosexual unions gone sour. These cases frequently pit the courts of two different states against each other as only six states currently allow either gay marriage or civil unions. Since the vast majority of couples ...

"Where Have You Gone Joe, Ted, Bob, Hank, and Warren?" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 3/19/09 (695 words)   It’s spring, and an old man’s inner child turns to baseball. We old guys who love the game once again fondly remember a sandlot field of dreams of long ago where we played endless innings from morning to dark. Our makeshift diamond, with bases almost hidden by early spring weeds ...

"Do Words Really Mean Anything?" By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 3/19/09 (620 words)  Two recent, unrelated, appalling remarks from public officials show that indeed, words have meaning—but perhaps only if you really mean them to have meaning.  Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) suggested that executives from bailout recipient AIG, who have received bonuses, should commit suicide....

"Is Someone Trying To Get Your Attention?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 3/19/09 (585 words)  Have you ever experienced or heard of an 'ear worm'?  According to web search pages, everyone experiences ear worms from time to time.  Earworms are songs or tunes that keep running around in one's head.  It may be a song you like, but, more often than not, it will be a tune that you despise...

"Filling In The Cracks" By: Jan Merop. Posted 3/19/09 (660 words) The house sat on cinder blocks over a dirt crawl space.  A brook running through the property contributed to a moist environment under ground.  But none of that gave us pause.  We fell in love with the sprawling ranch filled with natural knotty pine and several fireplaces.  It felt like home....

"How Fast is America Losing Faith?" By: David Sanford. Posted 3/19/09 (600 words) The most viewed and arguably the most controversial article published…

"Forgiving Bermie Madoff?" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 3/19/09 (600 words)  Could you forgive the multibillion dollar swindler if you were one of his victims?  (Short op-ed)

"Good Grief Is Not An Oxymoron" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 3/16/09 (600 words)  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me...”   In Psalm 23, King David offers a metaphor for grief to those who have experienced the death of a loved one. He likens the landscape of loss to a valley of shadows. David’s description is both poetic and comforting....

"Tasting the Fruit of our Labors" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 3/16/09 (600 words)  Today, most people spend nearly all of their waking hours trying to improve their lives, capture more leisure time and acquire more ‘things‘.  Ever since man’s sin forced us out of the Garden, hard work with few rewards is our lot in life....

"The Endangered Individual" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 3/10/09 (695 words)   There is a passage in the late William Buckley’s “God and Man at Yale,” published  way back in 1955, that continues to arrest one’s attention and, in these dark times, challenges one’s  spirit of genial tolerance. It reads, “The dual between Christianity and atheism is the most important in the world. . . . . The struggle between individualism and collectivism is the same struggle reproduced on another level.” ...

"The Elusive Search for Peace" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 3/10/09 (600 words)  Almost daily, we see peace protestors in the news. But, what is peace, and when will we know that it has arrived?  The dictionary defines peace as, “1: a state of tranquility or quiet: as a: freedom from civil disturbance; a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom.  Sadly, many people today define peace as ...

"Swedes and St. Patrick's Day" By: Don Lindman. Posted 3/10/09 (520 words)  As a full-blooded Swede I shout a couple of “Harrahs” on St. Patrick’s Day.  That may not seem like much excitement to most of you, but for a Swede two “Harrahs” is the emotional equivalent of a full day of Roman Candles (for a Roman).  We are not a demonstrative lot, but our hearts are with them.  We have some things in common....

"Now Paul Harvey Knows the 'End of the Story'" By: Jan White  Posted 3/10/09 (500 words)  When recent news reports announced the death of Paul Harvey, memories his familiar voice on the radio replayed in my mind.  When he would tell “The Rest of the Story,” he always held my attention because I knew there would be a surprise ending....

"Goodbye, American!" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 3/2/09 (550 words)  The first day of February 2009 found Christians the world-over celebrating the 100th birthday of Gospel singer George Beverly Shea. The last day of February found Americans in all fifty states grieving the death of a ninety year old man whose voice was equally unique. On February 28, 2009 our nation lost a giant. Paul Harvey was our country’s most popular newsman.…

"Global Warming 'Consensus' Destroyed By An 'Inconvenient Cooling' " By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 2/27/09 (935 words)  Remember the great scare over Y2K, when some of the most brilliant minds of our generation arrived at a “consensus” that predicted the end of the world at midnight on December 31, 1999?  In a similar vein we have the economic crisis of 2008—a grand mal version of the Bernie Madoff-Ponzi Scheme that duped some of the best minds of the finance world....

"Tony Blair's God Thing" By: Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi. Posted 2/27/09 (600 words)  When Blair was British Prime Minister, his press secretary once explained to reporters, “We don't do God.”  Today, Blair promotes God and faith freely.  What’s he up to?  (Short Op-ed)

"Bullies in the Playground" By: Jan Merop. Posted 2/20/09 (600 words) I don’t know about you, but lately, I feel bullied.  My foundational values are being undermined and the government’s rescue plan has my knees knocking – much like a young boy of small stature who was relentlessly taunted by bullies.  Until…

"Stimulus Package Will Stimulate More Heart Ache"  By: William Cripe Sr.   Posted 2/18/09 (600 words)   The only thing the current "stimulus package" is going to stimulate is more despair and more economic decline.  Neither people nor nations can ignore God's perfect counsel for life with impunity.  In one of the earliest books of the Bible a program for providing for the less fortunate was instituted by the Almighty.  It reads:  "Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest…you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God."  (Leviticus 19:9-10)... 

"George Will's Next Column" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 2/18/09 (690 words)   George Will tells us in his latest column that evolution is a fact.  To substantiate such a claim, I'm hoping he'll use his next column to put the matter to rest once and for all by going beyond simple declarative sentences and answering some important questions.  For starters, there is the question of the origin of life....

"By George It's Lent!" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 2/12/09 (635 words)   I don’t know about you, but I have a number of Georges in my life. There’s George Toles, George Munzing, George Warren, …  When’s the last time you heard of a baby being named George?  This month one of our country’s most famous Georges celebrated a memorable birthday…

"Husband and Wife's Life of Amazing Love and Grace" By: Jan White  Posted 2/11/09 (485 words)  John met Mary when they were children.  In fact, their mother’s were best friends.  When their children were very young, the two mothers wondered if John and Mary would some day marry each other.  Sadly, John’s mother passed away when he was seven.  The two families...

"Lincoln Understood the Wisdom of Forgiveness" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 2/10/09 (725 words)  In a life filled with disappointments, 1855 was a particularly difficult time for Abraham Lincoln.  Whether it was pursuing political advancement to the U.S. Senate or even moving ahead in his legal career, Lincoln's dreams were dashed in cruel ways.  Throughout two giant setbacks that year, Lincoln displayed a willingness to forgive others.  That rare ability revealed the greatness of his character.  It also sowed the seeds for future political success, and helped preserve a nation....

"He'd Rather Have Jesus:  A Century of Faith with George Beverly Shea" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 2/2/09 (620 words)  Almost anyone who attended a Billy Graham crusade or watched one on television would immediately recognize the familiar sound. In the moments just before Dr. Graham’s message, a deep, rich voice would fill the arena or stadium as a kind-looking fellow stepped to the microphone and began singing a hymn. Hundreds of millions of people heard him over the decades and now this beloved individual is observing his 100th birthday....

"Making Every Day Valentine's Day" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 2/2/09 (600 words)  Valentine’s Day brings thoughts of love and kindness. People exchange greeting cards expressing their love for each other. Children exchange candy ‘kisses’ or heart-shaped candies with love note imprinted on them. But, like many holidays, Valentine’s Day has become so commercial, that the true meaning is often lost. A recent email told of young children who were asked, “What is the meaning of ‘Love?’....

"The Faith of Our Fathers" By: Don Lindman. Posted 2/2/09 (565 words)  Reading David McCullough’s marvelous biography of John Adams has made me aware in a new way of the amazing beginnings of this nation. Our founding fathers were not polished politicians. For the most part they were businessmen or gentlemen farmers. Their ancestors came to this new world...

"Darwin, Lincoln, and Black History Month" By: Don Lindman. Posted 2/2/09 (570 words)  Charles Darwin as a hero in Black History Month? Well, maybe not a hero exactly, but as a man whose abolitionist convictions were not at all hidden, Darwin certainly deserves mention in February, especially since he was born February 12, 1809. Which just happens also to be the day when Abraham Lincoln, The Great Emancipator, was born an ocean away. Lincoln and Darwin....

"Richard John Neuhaus, 1936-2009:  A Race Well Run" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/28/09 (700 words)   On January 8, 1998, for one intoxicating hour, I was immersed in conversation with one of America’s most articulate and influential citizens, Richard John Neuhaus. My doctoral research had led me to this supremely gifted expositor of American democracy.  Now, thanks to his kindness ....

"Atheist Recommends God" By: Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi. Posted 1/28/09 (600 words)  A prominent British political observer and journalist says, “As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God.”  What did he encounter that “confounds my ideological beliefs, stubbornly refuses to fit my world view, and has embarrassed my growing belief that there is no God”?  (Short Op-ed)

"Praying For The New President" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 1/23/09 (700 words)   Last week I watched Pastor Rick Warren give the opening prayer at the inauguration from the comfort of my living room. As I contemplated what it would be like to be given such a unique opportunity, I realized I already knew. Well, sort of.  Several years ago our family lived in a Chicago suburb. A state senator friend invited me to give the invocation at the Illinois capitol in Springfield....

"Comforting the Travoltas -- With Truth" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 1/23/09 (650 words)   With the recent tragic death of 16-year-old Jett Travolta, son of actor John Travolta and wife Kelly Preston, the views of Scientology are once again coming under scrutiny.  Yet the questions surrounding the cause of the seizures that led to Jett's death, and how his parents (both devoted Scientologists) were treating that condition, have been raised for years....

"Goodbye Racism?  Let's Wish." By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 1/23/09 (600 words)  Looking at a freezing January day on the Mall, in which record crowds basked in a glow of good feelings despite teeth-chattering cold, Americans can take a few lessons. Hardly anyone let the cold bother them during the Inauguration. It was an historical day for all races! Though historic, that day did not signify racism’s end; it simply moved us closer to healing old wounds from injustices....

"And Justice For All" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 1/17/09 (690 words)  

When Harry Blackmun was born a century ago, no one could have imagined the impact he would have on generations of Americans.  Growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota, Blackmun began a long friendship with Warren E. Burger, a future U.S. Supreme Court chief justice.  Blackmun also pursued a legal career and eventually became a judge.  In 1971, he followed Burger to the nation’s highest court....

"When Will America Restore the Sanctity of Human Life?" By: Jan White  Posted 1/16/09 (480 words)  Stojan Adasevic….you’ve probably never heard of this man’s unusual name unless you’re from the country of Serbia.  Stojan Adasevic is a doctor there.  Articles published recently in various newspapers and magazines in Eastern Europe tell about how a recurring dream changed Dr. Adasevic’s medical career....

"A Coming New World Order" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 1/16/09 (700 words)   Does the promise of a new president, combined with a host of seemingly insoluble global crises -- from the prospect of a nuclear Iran to the threat of a worldwide economic collapse -- present the United Nations and international elites with a golden opportunity to implement their long-stated goal of a New World Order?

"Our Legacy:  Mausoleums or Changed Lives" By: Don Lindman. Posted 1/16/09 (580 words)  The controversial 71-year old junior senator from Illinois, Roland Burris, has built an impressive mausoleum in which his mortal remains are to be placed.  Carved into one wall of the granite structure is the word “Trailblazer,” and under it a listing of his accomplishments....

"Read Through the Bible In Coming Year" By: Jan White  Posted 1/16/09 (495 words)  Several years ago, my father gave me a special Bible with a black, leather cover.  The pages were falling out of the book’s binding and the cover was coming off the Bible.  When he placed it in my hands, I could hear the emotion in his voice.  “If this Bible could talk…..,” he began telling me his memories as a young minister.  Then he told me this was the first Bible he used for preaching....

"God Has a Plan and Purpose For Every Life" By: Jan White  Posted 1/16/09 (515 words)  Though a missionary couple had four children, they began asking God for another child.  They even prayed specifically for “Timmy” by name.  Bob and Pam and their family had moved to the Philippines in 1985 to take the Gospel to those who have never heard...  Just before she became pregnant, Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, transmitted through contaminated drinking water, and fell into a coma....

"Pro-Life Advocates Have An Unseen Ally" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/12/09 (670 words)   January 22, a grievous day of infamy in America, is again upon us. On this date thirty-six years ago the Supreme Court of the United States declared open season on unborn children by abolishing all state laws prohibiting abortion. The immense social and spiritual damage is incalculable....

"A Recession Recipe:  Consume less; Contribute more" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 1/12/09 (690 words)  This winter afternoon in January, Congress is seriously talking about spending over one trillion dollars we don’t have. “We” will have to borrow it.  For the rest of our lives we’ll have to shell out huge amounts of interest to service all this debt ....

"Conventional Wisdom Fails Every Time" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/12/09 (600 words)  On a recent TV show, a sociologist said that since there is no ‘effective’ manual for child rearing, we must rely on “conventional wisdom” in child-rearing. When I was young, parents taught kids life-sustaining lessons and gave them a moral compass by which to live.  They instilled core values and gave boundaries to help kids make sound life decisions.  Honesty, integrity and the pursuit of excellence were expected. Keeping one’s word, and doing right, even when no one is looking was a consistent lesson....

"Making New Year's Resolutions Work" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 1/05/09 (600 words)  Each new year brings with it new challenges, troubles and concerns, as well as new opportunities, new relationships, etc.  One perennial activity is making New Year’s resolutions, promising to get rid of some behavior, habit, issue and so on, in an attempt to make life better.  People resolve to give up smoking, drinking, credit cards ...

"Why The Media Misunderstands Rick Warren" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 1/05/09 (750 words)  In President-elect Barack Obama’s continuing attempt at political moderation comes his most recent endeavor: He has asked Saddleback church’s pastor, the well-known evangelical author of the best-selling book “The purpose-driven life,” Rick Warren to offer the invocation at his inauguration....

"Apollo 8 Required A Leap of Faith" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 1/05/09 (600 words)   In our 21st century world where space travel is considered routine, it's hard for younger generations to fully grasp the remarkable achievements of the pioneers who made such journeys possible.  One of the riskiest and most memorable space flights was the Apollo 8 mission....

"Needed:  Ethical Bailout" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 1/05/09 (600 words)    Interwoven among news of economic turmoil and government rescues in the banking, investment, insurance and automobile industries are some wild tales of greed, deception, and bad choices.  Companies look to government for financial bailouts.  Where do we look for an ethical bailout?

"Real Peace Requires Work, Not Wishes"  By: William Cripe Sr.   Posted 12/22/08 (620 words)   Barely twenty-four hours have passed and the mountains of presents cascading to the floor in a kaleidoscope of colors have been reduced to a landfill of shredded wrappings, smushed bows and misshaped containers. Yesterday's artwork is today's trash. I've never much cared for the day after Christmas. I'd prefer to live with the excitement and anticipation of unopened presents to the aftermath of surprises revealed. Christmas carols seem out of place even though only a day ago they were the harbingers of peace on Earth, good will towards men.... 

"Thank God He Did Christmas His Own Way"  By: Barbara Curtis. Posted 12/22/08 (675 words)  This Christmas season, I've been thinking: how good that God doesn't base His big decisions on poll results! Nowadays, when many leaders seek assurance from approval ratings rather than counsel from their conscience, it's hard to imagine a head honcho focused on what's best for his people rather than on what will keep him at the top of the charts....

"The Grinch Invades Washington State" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 12/22/08 (670 words)   As a special Christmas gift to the people of Washington, and as an expression of peace and good will to all, the gracious state governor, Christine Gregoire, approved the following message to be displayed in the State Capitol in Olympia: ...

"A Gift Tied With Ribbons of Grace" By: Jan Merop. Posted 12/22/08 (590 words)  With my heart beating a little faster and fingers trembling, I gently released the ribbon tied around the Christmas gift my fiancé had given to me. It was a pretty good sized box. What special surprise was tucked within its folds? ...

"Where'd You Come From, Mr. Claus?" By: Barbara Curtis. Posted 12/18/08 (740 words)  Where did he come from, this jolly man in a soft red suit and flowing white beard?   Sure, we all know he's not real.  But he's definitely everywhere you look this time of year -- from wrapping paper to rooftops.  It seems that each year we see more of Santa and less of Jesus in our public celebration of Christmas.  Each winter our season's greetings are ...

"Some "Noell" Advice for Avoiding A 'Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas' " By: William R. Mattox. Posted 12/18/08 (840 words)  Here’s a depressing thought for mommas who don’t want their babies to grow up to be cowboys. A recent study of employment trends among "doctors and lawyers and such" shows that one "such" job that is growing exponentionally is the job of "Elvis impersonator."...

"A Reason to Keep Celebrating" By: Jan Merop. Posted 12/18/08 (545 words)  An interesting thing happened on the way to not celebrating. Joy!  It didn't happen because I forced myself to be happy. It happened because it has permanent residence in my heart.  You see, Advent was upon us. In a few short weeks, Christmas would be here. Then the New Year. But my excitement had been tempered....

"Christmas at Wal-Mart?" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 12/18/08 (650 words)  In the not-quite “town” — a bit of sprawl between one town and one city — where I live, Wal-Mart is about the only place in close proximity for grocery shopping and other one-stop stuff. So, like it or not, I go there a lot.  I often see friends and even family members ambling through the big store’s aisles. We sometimes stop in place and chat ...

"Why Jesus Was Born on Christmas Day" By: Terry Hart. Posted 12/17/08 (685 words)  It's easy to forget that the person whose birth date we celebrate December 25th came for a purpose. And while I may be saying things that have been said before, I would be remiss if I didn't recall the reason why this child whom they named Jesus appeared on the scene some 2,000 years ago....

"Planning Ahead for Christmas" By: Jim Priest. Posted 12/17/08 (850 words)  I should have written this column about six months ago. If I had, many of us would be further down the gift shopping trail than we are right now. But alas, I didn't think ahead far enough and, like many of you, I am now caught up in the flurry of last minute gift buying. I used to be better about thinking ahead toward Christmas...

"Santa Claus Let-Down Shapes Next Generation's Celebration" By: Gregory J. Rummo. Posted 12/17/08 (685 words)  When I was a little boy, there were two traditions we celebrated on Christmas Eve. I was raised in a religious home, and every year we set up an elaborate Nativity scene complete with a hand-made wooden crèche. There were donkeys, horses, and a herd of sheep (not just two or three, mind you), and a half-dozen shepherds to keep watch over their flock by night....

"Yes, Virginia, There is a Jesus Christ" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 12/17/08 (675 words) More than 100 years ago, Virginia O'Hanlon wrote the New York Sun asking if there was a Santa Claus. The newspaper's response became a classic and one of the most beloved commentaries in history. It also inspired the following fictional correspondence about a modern youngster seeking an answer to a similar question....

"The Budget Box" By: Jan Merop. Posted 12/15/08 (620 words)  Dad stored the 7” x 7” metal box carefully in his desk.  Every week on payday, he pulled it out of safe-keeping.  He divided the cash money into categories and stored it into one of the designated compartments.  As a child, I watched him do this religiously.  Gradually, he taught me the principles of managing...

"Christmas Offers Antidote for Fear We're Feeling" By: Don Lindman. Posted 12/15/08 (570 words)  Once again Americans are coming to Christmas afraid.   We may not like to call it fear, but the wars in the Middle East, the warnings about possible terrorism, and the deepening economic recession have brought an uncertainty to our lives that we haven't experienced very often. We are an anxious people, and behind that anxiety, call it what you will, is fear....

"Good Tidings of Great Joy" By: David Sanford. Posted 12/15/08 (570 words)  How radical is the idea behind Christmas?  The religious leaders at that time scoffed at the shepherds' report of the angelic announcement of Jesus' birth. They no longer believed in angels.  They certainly couldn't imagine God Almighty - Creator and Governor of the universe - humbling Himself to visit planet Earth.  Yet the Bible predicted this.  Among other things, ...

"Do Churches Really Welcome Their Christmas Guests?" By: Stephen Schwambach. Posted 12/15/08 (700 words)  As I stood in a checkout line, waiting to pay for my purchases, a man two or three places behind recognized me.  "Hey!" he called out loudly, causing shoppers' heads to turn. "Aren't you that pastor on Lincoln Avenue?"  I smiled. "That's me," I said, a little embarrassed.  "I thought so!" he bellowed. "Got a question for you: You know all those strangers who show up in church at Christmas every year?" he asked. "Betcha feel like tellin' 'em: 'Hey - if you can't come every week - take a hike!' " ...

"Honest Abe and Illinois' Governor" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 12/11/08 (585 words)    U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald claimed that Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s “political corruption crime spree" would make Abraham Lincoln “roll over in his grave.”  What might Lincoln advise regarding the scandal? 

"Frustrated Atheists Deny the Existence of Jesus" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 12/09/08 (610 words)  After numerous failed attempts to take Christ out of Christmas, atheists have launched a new attack on the celebration of Christ‘s birth - a placard in state capitols with a declaration of non-faith and non-belief in God. This is intended to refute the message of Christmas. In Washington state, such a placard was placed in the state capitol with the blessings(?) of the Governor.  Many people protested loudly....

"Living a Life of Advent" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 12/02/08 (605 words)  When I was growing up, Advent, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was considered extremely important in the whole ‘Holiday’ celebration.  Advent literally means, “coming” or “arrival”; the coming or arrival of something extremely important:  One writer described the time of Advent as”…the yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world…"

"All Quiet on the Western Front:  The Christmas Truce of 1914" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 12/02/08 (750 words)  Even the boldest playwright would hesitate to create such an unusual scenario -- amidst the mud, stench and slaughter of a widespread war, sworn enemies drop their guns and celebrate Christmas together. Such a gathering could never happen, but it did in 1914....

"Choosing Abortion" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 12/01/08 (585 words)  When I met her at a media convention, she seemed so vibrant and alive, full of zest and eager to interact, an attractive woman with a bright smile and sparkling eyes.  I would not have guessed the emotional anguish and physical torment that lay in her past.  Gut wrenching stuff. (Short op-ed)

"Giving Thanks to Those Around Us" By: Jill Darling. Posted 11/21/08 (650 words)  Our basic human need is to feel loved and appreciated. Everyone needs affirmation, but too often positive thoughts are seldom expressed.  We may ponder how much an individual means to us or about the wonderful things he or she does. But unfortunately, thoughts remain just that, thoughts unexpressed, never making an impact on the one for whom they're intended....

"Seeking Safe Investments During Economic Turmoil" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 11/20/08 (615 words)  The current economic climate has people literally worried sick.  Extremely erratic world markets make investors jumpy.  Some are considering withdrawing their funds and burying their money in the back yard in glass jars.  In fact, the evening news recently reported a noticeable increase in the sales of glass jars.  Trillions of dollars of wealth have been lost in only a few months....

"Hospital Stands Against Death-Dealing Tide" By: Lynn & Gary Hardaway. Posted 11/18/08 (680 words)   Since the ancient origins of the art of medicine, practitioners of the art have held themselves to a covenant, part of which states: “I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy.” Sometimes we hear these principles condensed as “First, do no harm.”...

"Irrational Atheism and the End of Reason" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 11/17/08 (680 words)   With the emergence of the New Atheist movement in recent years — led by the unholy trinity of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris — many have become convinced that religious faith is, as Dawkins puts it, “dangerously irrational.”  So a comprehensive new study released by...

"A Post Election Reflection"  By: William Cripe Sr.   Posted 11/17/08 (525 words)   In virtually every aspect of life there are winners and there are losers.  We may try to use nicer sounding words to describe the one who lost but at the end of the day, for the runner-up, the result is the same.  What remains to be seen is who really lost and who won on Election Day.  I am neither discouraged nor heartened by the election's results.... 

"Honoring An American War Hero" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 11/12/08 (695 words)  When I learned of the recent death of legendary Marine Col. John Ripley, I cried. I will always wish I could have been in his presence just one more time.  Winner of the Navy Cross and the Silver Star, the late Col. Ripley is best remembered for the amazing feat of ...

"Happy 90th Birthday Billy!" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 11/07/08 (840 words)   Back in 1947, a young, dynamic evangelist was wrestling with a pivotal decision that would define the rest of his life. His name was . . . Cliff Barrows. His good friend, Billy Graham, had asked him to join Billy’s evangelistic team. Cliff, an excellent preacher, had other outstanding gifts...

"The Law of Unintended Consequences" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 11/07/08 (590 words)  Unintended consequences always intrigue me. What intrigues me more is the fact that people rarely identify the link between the consequences and the initial action(s).  One case-in-point was the increase in the federal minimum wage.  Proponents believed the increase would be a boon to people ‘trapped’ in low paying jobs....

"Understand the Times, Then Pray For Election Day" By: Jan White  Posted 10/29/08 (520 words)  Americans will soon elect the next President of the United States.  It’s the first time in eighty years that a sitting President or Vice President has not been a candidate for re-election.  So no matter the outcome of the election, there will be change – a word we’ve heard much about this election year from both political parties.  In fact, we have already seen change....

"See What Love Can Do" By: Jan Merop. Posted 10/24/08 (610 words) 

James, a lively 2 ½-year-old, shyly approached our small group – until he spotted our friend in the wheel chair.  Eyes wide and feet flying, he made a bee line for her, striking up a serious sounding conversation while frantically gesturing with his hands and occasionally saying ‘baby.’ Our friend responded with empathy as James continued to spread his fingers wide in an attempt to help her understand....

"Time to Invest in Peace" By: Mike Mirakian.  Posted 10/24/08 (555 words)  It’s tough out there. Our nation hasn’t faced economic anxiety like what we are currently enduring for many years. It may not be another Great Depression, but the stock market, gas prices and real estate values are certainly making a lot of people feel depressed.  Before going on, a quick disclaimer...

"The Change We Need" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 10/20/08 (840 words)  Presidential candidates and media pundits have repeatedly warned that 2008 is the most important election in America’s history. Whether voters choose a maverick or a community organizer, the desire is for someone that will help us emerge from these dark days.  As we entertain grand visions of a brave leader whisking us away to the promised land ...

"Got Money Woes?  Consider Zimbabwe" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 10/20/08 (610 words)  Wall Street turmoil, bank failures, home foreclosures, a clogged financial system.  Economic gloom got you down?  Consider Zimbabwe’s 40 million percent inflation.  Some perspective, plus resources for troubling times.

"We Don't Need More Bailouts" By: Tina Krause.  Posted 10/13/08 (500 words)  Our national economic security is in crisis. From Wall Street to Main Street there is plenty of shared blame. Greedy financial big wigs and ordinary consumers with poor credit ratings, who secured mortgage loans they couldn’t afford, all had their hands in the cookie jar....

"High Ideals Versus High Principles" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 10/13/08 (640 words)  When did ideals become more important than principles? As I see it, the one is a euphemism for pie-in-the-sky hopes that may or may not be attainable, while the other suggests integrity or character, encompassing both hope and realism.  Which do we want and need in a national leader?...

"Government Censorship:  Scarier Than Halloween?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 10/10/08 (510 words)  In this Halloween season, the scariest costume may be the face of government censorship.  Members of a local newspaper community opinion panel were asked to respond to the question, “What, if anything, should be done to make sure political advertisements are truthful?”  This question reflects a dangerous trend that is permeating all areas of society, and may threaten our very Constitution.  The question explores...

"I Want It All. . . Now!" By: Ken Lottis  Posted 10/10/08 (550 words)  "I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now…”  The words of that song, coming from our television sounded like a church choir or a fraternity house glee club. As I turned to watch, I realized that it was a commercial for a major credit card! The obvious message was, I could have it all, now, by using their credit card.  The words of this jingle seem particularly ironic juxtaposed with the evening news...

"Obese with Knowledge or Fit with Wisdom?" By: Jan Merop. Posted 10/09/08 (595 words)  Statistics say that we have become an obese nation.  While feeding the flesh, we have starved the cells of necessary nutrients resulting in an alarming increase of diseases both in adults; and, appallingly, in children.  We are a nation rich in food, yet, poor in health.  Why is this?... Watching the Presidential debates, one can consume more knowledge and information than it’s possible to digest in an evening...

"Is It Really the Economy, Stupid?" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 10/08/08 (810 words)   It has been said that all presidential elections come down to three issues:  the economy, the economy and the economy.  And in a time of economic upheaval such as we're currently experiencing, even more so....

"How Should Christians View Elections?" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 10/08/08 (610 words)  How are Christians to pray during elections? Many people today say that religion should have no place in elections. Most offer the so-called Constitutional 'separation of church and state' as proof that our Founders wanted to keep religion out of American society. The dirty little secret is that no such separation clause exists in the Constitution...

"Can Government Heal Our Souls?" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 10/08/08 (620 words)  Have you noticed how a certain political party seems to be promising American citizens (i.e., voters) lately that its platform and its candidates are somehow ordained to provide us with spiritual succor? This party adopted a most curious platform statement at its convention...

"Surviving the Vortex of Political Verbiage"  By: William Cripe Sr.   Posted 10/02/08 (480 words)   After two years, I am getting my fill of politics; talk about a l-o-o-o-ng election season.  As I reluctantly listen, or try to listen to the candidates, commentators and critics, I wonder if I am listening to adults dealing with matters of world importance or children on a playground squabbling over silly putty.  For a better result in November, it would be beneficial to remember... 

"Let's Go Fishing" By: Jan Merop. Posted 10/02/08 (585 words)  There’s nothing quite like watching a couple of young boys with fishing poles slung over their shoulders–barefoot and followed by a tail-wagging dog– heading for their favorite fishing hole.  Every footstep keeps stride with camaraderie, loyalty and industriousness. And patience leaves its foot-print.  If the catch is good, dinner is supplied with a heaping portion of...

"Culture War Casualties" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 10/01/08 (670 words)  A growing number of people are conceding one front in the so-called culture war -- the one long populated by gay-rights activists and proponents. Despite the bitter battle being waged in California over Proposition 8, which seeks to reverse the state supreme court’s ruling a few months ago that same-sex marriage is a right granted by the California Constitution, a general attitude of apathy seems to be moving over the landscape....

"Abiding in the Shadow of The Almighty" By: Jan White  Posted 9/26/08 (490 words)  During uncertain economic conditions in our nation several years ago, I had a conversation with a minister friend of mine. I wanted to know his thoughts on how people should view the situation.  He answered my question by asking me, “Does the Bible say he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the stock market?”...

"The Truth That Transforms" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 9/18/08 (650 words)  It seems we can never quite get away from the cultural confusion associated with homosexuality. It’s a complex and volatile topic, to be sure. Everyone with a brain knows you can’t “pray away the gay,” right? Isn’t that what Christian music artist Ray Boltz proved recently by coming out as a gay man?  How timely, then, is the new movie, “Save Me,”...

"The Importance of Following Current Events" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/16/08 (520 words)  There are many people today who rarely, if ever read the newspaper or watch TV news, believing that it contains nothing but trash or that it glamorizes crime and degradation and offers little of redeeming social value.  Paul Harvey, when reporting bad news, often tries to interject some uplifting story as some kind of antiseptic to cleanse our ears and minds of the debauchery...

"Critics and Celebs Obsess Over Governor Palin" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 9/16/08 (640 words)   Over the weekend of September 13-14, The New York Times, in the throes of an all-consuming misogynous obsession, published not one or two, not three or four, but FIVE op-ed pieces that targeted Sarah Palin, John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate....

"Viva La Vida and Chasing of the Wind" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 9/16/08 (780 words)  It isn’t often in today’s popular culture that listeners can find an important historical lesson in the lyrics of a chart-topping song.  Viva La Vida, the hit single by the English alternative rock band Coldplay, is one of the most haunting releases in recent years.  The thought-provoking song chronicles a dramatic fall from grace...

"A "Christian" View of Immigration?"  By: William Cripe Sr.   Posted 9/12/08 (635 words)   A "Christian view" of immigration is challenging.  I openly confess, sometimes my "Americanism" clouds my Christianity. Since the Scriptures tell the story of a nation whose very history is one of divinely directed immigration, the issue might seem pretty straightforward.... 

"The Best Plan for Marriage:  Loyalty and Commitment" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 9/02/08 (660 words)  Loyalty, dedication and commitment are three concepts that appear to be victims of modern society’s extreme focus upon self, but such concepts are often compromised in many areas of life, especially in marriage and family.  Pre-nuptial agreements were unheard of years ago, yet today, many people would never marry without one.  People go into the marriage with the prospect of...

"Garage Sale?  Church Holds Garage Give-Away"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 8/29/08 (525 words)   Garage-sale shoppers know that picking the neighborhoods in which you shop is important.  Wealthier neighborhoods produce better stuff, while poorer neighborhoods have cheaper stuff.  Of course, prices tend to be higher in wealthier neighborhoods, so people who have a greater need and less to spend likely will go to the cheaper sales.  They just can’t afford the good stuff.  The result is that...

"America's Eroding Morality:  Truth or Consequence" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 8/27/08 (650 words)  The Barna Group, which has been conducting surveys aimed at uncovering cultural and moral trends in the U.S. for 25 years, has just released a report on a survey concerning moral issues. You can find it at Barna.org.  The questions asked of participants in this latest survey were meant to assess....

"How To Surprise Your Mayor" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 8/26/08 (600 words)  When you're the mayor, people who talk to you very often want something from you.  Luis Palau asked Portland’s mayor how churches could help the city.  The result: massive – and inspiring – mobilization to tackle homelessness, poverty, hunger, healthcare, and more.  (Short op-ed)

"School Days Are Upon Us:  Do You Know Your Rights?" By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 8/20/08 (600 words)  Those groans you hear? Children and teens are looking at the calendar. They know that their first day of school is at hand, or has already come and gone. Parents complain, too, at the cost of school supplies and clothes. Despite the grumbling, parents want to do whatever they can to prepare their children so they can do their best in school.   However, most parents send their children off to school not fully aware...

"Two Very Different Views of Life - In Real Life" By: Shaunna Howat. Posted 8/20/08 (670 words)  Asked to comment about their policies on abortion, both presidential candidates have spoken out this summer. Though some may wish differently, politicians cannot escape the issue; like it or not, we humans care about the value of human life....

"In Search of Effective AIDS Outreach" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 8/20/08 (680 words)  The world’s attention is turning more and more toward the suffering of those who are HIV-positive or infected with full-blown AIDS -- abroad, that is. We are enamored with the need for outreach to women and disenfranchised children, especially those infected and orphaned in Africa. And we should be.  What of those in our own backyard, where the AIDS epidemic first came to light 27 years ago? Lest we forget...

"Real Men Can Cry"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 8/14/08 (515 words) 

Leonard was strong and sturdy, a man from whom you wouldn’t expect a public display of emotion.  You would be right most of the time.  But when Leonard talked about his Christian conversion experience, he broke down nearly every time....

"This Is Our Father's World"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 8/14/08 (525 words)  I got a look at an alien world recently, a world in which I could never live but which was fascinating to visit.  I went to Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium.  The life on display there was carbon-based...  I can’t even imagine what living in a water atmosphere would be like....

"The Immeasurable Impact of One Life" By: Jan White  Posted 8/14/08 (500 words)  Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a Nobel prize-winning author, died recently at the age of 89.  He lived to tell the world about the torture and death in Russian Gulags, prison camps in Siberia where the Communists exiled millions of people.  The news of his death reminded me of the story told in Chuck Colson’s book, Loving God, about Boris Kornfeld, a fellow prisoner with Solzhenitsyn....

"Darryl Strawberry:  Slugging for God" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 8/5/08 (700 words)   When 21-year-old phenom Darryl Strawberry began his baseball career with the New York Mets in 1983, he was said to have the sweetest swing in recent memory and plenty of "pop" (power) to go with it.  Even then, people were talking about him as a future Hall of Fame inductee and a prime candidate to break Henry Aaron's hallowed all-time home run record....

"Solzhenitsyn:  Our Modern Jeremiah" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 8/5/08 (650 words)   One of the twentieth century’s giants, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, has passed from our midst. It behooves us to long remember what he did when he was a slave in Stalin’s Gulag and what he wrote during and after his sufferings.  The great man was rightly celebrated for exposing the depths of the evil wrought by the...

"Tony Snow: "While God Doesn't Promise Tomorrow, He Does Promise Eternity" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 7/25/08 (650 words)  Tony Snow spent a lifetime putting words together into beautiful sentences.  Whether his comments were for a newspaper column or a television show, Snow’s eloquent insights explained events unfolding in the complex world around us.  The acclaimed journalist and presidential press secretary recently died at only 53 after a long and heroic bout with cancer.  Now his words are helping people confront their own mortality and re-evaluate their priorities....

"What Do You Do When There Are Moose On The Loose?"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 7/25/08 (545 words)  A colleague of mine who lived in Anchorage, Alaska, told me rather matter-of-factly how every spring when the snow melted he had to take a shovel and clean up after the moose in his backyard.  Yeh, right, I thought.  He must live on the outskirts of the city.  After all, Anchorage is a city of almost 300,000 people.  How many moose could you possibly find there?...

"Delayed Gratification and the Piggy Bank" By: Jan Merop. Posted 7/25/08 (540 words)  A conversation with my son, Chris, during a college break some years ago is a blessing I treasure.  Many years before, I'd been a single mom for about seven years.  Finances were tight.  There were things I wished I could get for him, but instead we'd have looking days at the toy store....

"Getting in Tune with the Rhythm of Parenting" By: Jan Merop. Posted 7/21/08 (520 words)  All eyes turn toward practiced dance partners.  We watch in wonder how the man and woman anticipate and respond to each other's moves.  Gliding along as one, their partnership is enhanced by their understanding and interpretation...

"Is Anyone Listening?" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 7/21/08 (595 words)  Ever feel like you're talking to a brick wall?  Conversation has been defined as “a vocal competition in which the one who is catching his breath is called the listener.”  A fun look at listening’s merits.  (Short op-ed)

"Strange Occurrences and the Sins In Our Lives"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 7/18/08 (590 words)  I was leaving a nursing home recently when two gentlemen passed me on their way in.  They told the receptionist they were priests on their way to hear confessions.  Interesting, I thought.  What is going on in that place?  What vile acts are those mostly bedridden patients doing that require confession?...

"Putting Away Childish Things" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 7/18/08 (660 words)  As I grow older, I am ever more aware of the fragility of life. Each year brings me face-to-face with more tragedy. I have come to see each day as a precious gift. I believe in living every day to the fullest, appreciating the little moments I could so easily take for granted....

"Like Dorothy Said: "There's No Place Like Home" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 7/18/08 (650 words)  The conclusion from The Wizard of Oz remains among the most cherished scenes in movie history.  Young Dorothy is finally back in her bedroom, surrounded by Uncle Henry, Auntie Em and the farmhands, when she utters the heartfelt words: "There's no place like home."  That memorable phrase resonates...

"There Are No Ex-Marines or Ex-Pastors"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 7/17/08 (560 words)  I once called a friend an “ex-Marine.”  He quickly corrected me.  “There are no ex-Marines.  Retired Marines, yes, but ex-Marines, no.  You are always a Marine.”  I am a “retired pastor.”  I’ve discovered that for many of us clergy, you never are an “ex-pastor.”  “Retired pastor,” yes, but you are always a pastor....

"Optimism Takes A Beating In Tough Times" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 7/14/08 (600 words)  When the Optimist Club gets pessimistic, you know times are tough.  War, soaring gas and food prices, a volatile housing market, economic uncertainty and more can create pervasive pessimism.  Is there any cause for hope out there?  (Short op-ed)

"Carlin's Gutter Humor Was No Joke" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/27/08 (700 words)  On a June night long ago, as our high school class lined up to march into our graduation ceremony, the guy behind me kept a bunch of us in stitches doing a comedy routine he had picked up somewhere, something about a “hippy-dippy weather man.”  The bumbling prognosticator ruefully admitted that a lot of people were shoveling about two feet of “partly cloudy” off their driveways that morning....

"Socialism Goes By Many Names" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/27/08 (700 words)  If you were born in 1933 – and if my math is right – you’re seventy-five years old, or pretty close. Your memory of the world radically exceeds that of the average citizen with much less history. That blankness looms large in 2008, especially because of the upcoming election.  In 1933 two world leaders appeared on the scene. Hitler came to power in Germany; Franklin Roosevelt was elected president of the United States. They joined two others....

"An Example For The Ages" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 6/27/08 (670 words)  In the course of research for a forthcoming book and ongoing preparation for the commentaries I write—often with “fear and trembling” as I consider the grave responsibility of ministry to real human beings—I have found myself at the intersection of two great pastors and their legacy. I am speaking of Rick Warren and the late Jerry Falwell. While I have yet to meet Warren in person, I was privileged to know “Doc” Falwell. My journey through this purpose-driven life took me...

"America, Land of the Free and Home of the Blessed!" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/25/08 (700 words)  Happy Birthday, America.  God has truly showered His grace upon you as a nation.  Many people today take delight in attacking America.  Many people castigate the U.S. regularly, spewing hate-filled epithets about our nation.  The problem is, the leading America-haters are American citizens.  We have so much to be thankful for, yet so many of us strive to dwell upon the negative....

"Russert Remained True to the Author of his Beliefs" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 6/25/08 (700 words)  Sister Lucille Socciarelli had her hands full when a precocious 13-year-old entered her seventh grade classroom at St. Bonaventure Elementary School. The young man was gifted in many ways and as the days progressed, the sister quickly realized that he was intelligent, witty, and a math whiz...  Sister Lucille taught in Buffalo, New York.  It was 1963 and the boy was Timothy John Russert, Jr....

"Guard Your Heart" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/20/08 (610 words) 

Jordan, my little four-year-old grandson sat in our family room one Sunday afternoon, playing with a toy and singing a song, “...Don’t let the devil steal your joy.…”  The song went on to express how you should ask Jesus for His joy, and you will be happy in the joy of the Lord.  After listening for a while, I asked him what the song meant.  He responded that in Sunday school, he learned that the devil wants to make him sad, but that Jesus wants him to be happy.  It was amazing to me that a simple little child’s song...

"The Most Sacred of Vows" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 6/20/08 (620 words)  June is the month when, traditionally, the most brides are given in marriage. Right on cue, my husband and I followed that tradition recently by presenting our own precious firstborn daughter to her new husband.  As much as we had anticipated the event, and for all the tears shed in advance in attempts to drain the emotional well we feared would swamp us on The Big Day, we simply could not have known in advance how full and tender our hearts would be...

"Restraint Important Lesson In Life" By: Jan White  Posted 6/19/08 (460 words)  The first thing I do when I get in my car is reach over my left shoulder, pull the seat belt across my body and fasten the metal clip in the slot.  I don’t want to drive until the click tells me I’m secure.  I admit I haven’t always buckled up.  Like others who don’t wear them, I had my excuses.  I used to say seat belts were uncomfortable and too confining.  They wrinkle my clothes, I’d complain.  Or...

"The Bible:  Greater Value Than Einstein's Words" By: Jan White  Posted 6/18/08 (515 words)  In London recently, a letter written by Albert Einstein sold at auction for $404,000.   The handwritten letter, dated January 1954, was addressed to philosopher Eric Gutkind.  The auction house verified the letter’s authenticity.  Einstein, the famous physicist known for developing the theory of relativity, shared his thoughts about God and the Bible in this personal letter....

"Molding Young Minds Is Not Child's Play" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/10/08 (700 words)  It is intriguing to watch a young child play with Play-Doh or clay. He or she carefully examines the blob of material, and uses his or her imagination and their tiny hands to form what their mind’s eye sees.  When the child’s ‘masterpiece’ is done, he or she fully expects others to see the ‘kitten’ or ‘doggie’ they have fashioned from the ball of clay....

"It's Time for Fathers to Take Back Their Rightful Place" By: Jill Darling. Posted 6/04/08 (700 words)   As a youngster I enjoyed watching Father Knows Best, My Three Sons and Leave it to Beaver. As an adult, these beloved shows became the target of ridicule. With women’s lib, increasing divorce rates and unruly kids, families didn’t act like those in the black-and-white sitcoms of yesteryear....

"Another Shameful Performance at Trinity Church" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 6/04/08 (575 words)  When Catholic priest Michael Phleger used the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ to mock Hillary Clinton and inflame black hatred of whites, he, like Jeremiah Wright before him, disgraced his office and his calling. Worse, he performed this disgusting behavior in the name of Jesus Christ. Remember Christ? The one who taught us to love one another, not mock one another?...

"Government Fails the 'Father Test'" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 6/04/08 (700 words)  We are often told nearly one third of young Black men are either in jail or on parole/probation and are more likely to become involved in drugs and crime than other ethnicities.  The school drop out rate for Blacks is triple that of Whites.  Blacks are more likely to live in poverty.  What sad statistics!  Where are the leaders?   Where are the fathers?...

"Remembering Robert F. Kennedy's 'Ripple of Hope'" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 6/04/08 (680 words)  These are uncertain times.  The political, social and economic orders that governed for generations now seem jeopardized by bad decisions and overwhelming events. Everyone is asking how to address these problems.  Some thought-provoking answers can be found in a book written four decades ago.  While preparing for the 1968 presidential campaign, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy issued "To Seek a Newer World."...

"Graduation More Than A Ceremony" By: Jan White  Posted 6/2/08 (510 words)  Congratulations to the young people receiving their diplomas!  It may seem for the moment that you’ve completed your education; however, there’s something you need to know.  Your schooling may be over, but your education will continue....  In other words, learning is a lifelong journey....

"Home Foreclosure's Emotional Toll" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 6/2/08 (590 words)  Has someone you know lost their home to foreclosure or struggled near the brink?  Have you?  The psychological effects can be devastating.  How to cope?   (Short op-ed)

"'Star Spangled Banner' Still Reflects National Character"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 5/23/08 (635 words)  After September 11, 2001, Americans became engulfed in a wave of patriotism.  Among the changes that occurred was a new appreciation for our national anthem.  In 1814 the United States was involved in a war with England that threatened to bring an early end to the noble experiment in freedom and democracy that had begun in 1776.  The young nation’s destiny hinged...

"John Paul II:  Amazing Religious Leader"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 5/23/08 (530 words)   He was Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, and Sovereign of Vatican City.  TIME magazine’s Man of the Year, he was referred to by some as the most influential person of the 20th century.  He was Karol Wojtyla, better known as Pope John Paul II.  A compromise selection, chosen in the eighth round of voting, he ended up having the second longest reign in papal history....

"Israel:  The Miracle Country Turns 60" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 5/19/08 (740 words)   When Israel celebrated her 60th anniversary recently, it was nothing short of a testament to the faithfulness of God and the trustworthiness of His Word.  You see, all of Israel's history — her future history — was recorded in precise detail in Scripture thousands of years before it ever happened.  God foretold through the prophets...

"The Church At A Critical Crossroad" By: Debbie Thurman. Posted 5/19/08 (680 words)  Is it any real surprise that California’s Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, has overturned the state’s ban on same-sex marriage? Serious observers and activists on both sides of the gay culture war have seen this coming for some time.  We have glimpsed the country’s future through the crystal ball of its infamous bellwether state. Pro-family advocates are heartened, at least, by the near-establishment of a November ballot initiative to amend California’s constitution, defining marriage as only between one man and one woman....

"Songwriter's Words Touched Many Hearts" By: Jan White  Posted 5/19/08 (500 words)  Gospel singer/songwriter Dottie Rambo, age 74, died early last Sunday morning when strong winds blew her tour bus off a Missouri highway and into an embankment.  Seven others traveling with her were injured – two of them seriously. Some may not know the name, Dottie Rambo, but anyone who knows Gospel music...

"Sins, Whatever We Call Them, Are Deadly" By: Jan White  Posted 5/19/08 (490 words)  The seven deadly sins made the news in recent weeks because a new list of seven deadly sins was announced by the Vatican.  Around the year 600, the original seven deadly sins – pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth - were compiled by Pope Gregory I.  You won’t find this list in one verse, but there’s Scripture in the Bible concerning each one....

"Hymnology - Can You Name That Tune?" By: Jan White  Posted 5/19/08 (500 words)  If there were a game show called “Name That Hymn,” I could make it to the final round and probably win the game.  Growing up in church and having a mother who plays the piano and organ created a musical memory bank in my brain.  Off the top of my head, I would guess I could name most hymns in less than five notes....

"Remembering Mr. Smith and the Importance of Lost Causes" By: Kendall Wingrove. Posted 5/19/08 (780 words)  Where have you gone, Jefferson Smith?  A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.  This month marks the 100th anniversary of Jimmy Stewart’s birth and provides an opportunity to remember the late actor and the fictional characters he created in classics like “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”  Stewart’s life speaks volumes about an America that used to be and the country it has become.  “Mr. Smith” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” are two defining moments...

"Ending Abuse the Only Moral Option" By: Mike Mirakian.  Posted 5/8/08 (600 words)  Sometimes nobody wins.  That seems to be the case in West Texas as state authorities sort through the mess of abuse allegations and child custody hearings related to over 400 children taken from the polygamous community.  The children will carry the trauma of the past several weeks for the rest of their lives. No child wants to be separated from her mother or to be cared for by strangers....

"Past Treasures Still Teach Today"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 5/7/08 (500 words)  Each year that passes into the history books leaves us with memories.  The older we get, the greater the collection—the record of our investment in the present and the future.  Our 10-year old granddaughter recently discovered Grandma and Grandpa’s attic....

"Carving Wood and Carving a Life"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 5/7/08 (520 words)  One of the perks of retirement is the opportunity to do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do but had neither time nor opportunity.  For me, this has meant the opportunity to learn woodcarving.  Two of the men in the retirement community where I live are very experienced and very good carvers, and they’ve taken on seven or eight of us novices and given us both encouragement and instruction.  It’s been a lot of fun....

"Expel Coercive Ideology from School" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 5/01/08 (700 words)  As a former long-time resident of California, I was appalled – but not surprised -- by a recent court edict that home-schooling parents must be state-certified to teach their own children.  Especially pernicious was Justice  H. Walter Croskey’s opinion that “Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children.” To which one must shout back, “O yes they do!” We’re talking here about unalienable parental rights....

"Two Mothers' Prayers Are Answered" By: James J. Jackson. Posted 5/01/08 (700 words)  Bessie faced the concept of “Guess who’s coming to dinner?” long before the movie was made.  In the movie, two parents were surprised that their daughter’s suitor was of a different ethnicity.  Bessie’s surprise ‘guests’ were ten orphans who would stay far longer than one evening.  Bessie Lannier, a deeply devoted wife and mother, was raised in the Jim Crow South in the early 1900s, ...

"What is an "Evangelical?"  By: Don Lindman. Posted 4/28/08 (600 words)  “What is an evangelical?” a reader asked me recently.  “You use the term frequently, but what do you mean by it?”  Interesting question…and one I have difficulty answering.  My intuition knows what I mean; my brain has a more difficult time defining it.  This is especially true in today’s climate.  Originally “evangelical” was a theological term....

"Global Food Crisis Hits Home" By: Rusty Wright. Posted 4/28/08 (585 words)  Some Westerners might react with detached shock to stories of food riots in places like Haiti, India, and Cameroon.  But when your local Costco and Sam's Club start limiting rice purchases, reality creeps in.  What should you do?  (Short op-ed)

"Earth Day Every Day" By: Greg Asimakoupoulos  Posted 4/21/08 (700 words)   So you missed celebrating Earth Day last month right? But don’t despair—there’s always next year, or maybe even next month. What about today? Let me explain. I remember when Earth Day was first established. It coincided with my eighteenth birthday. As my high school graduation drew near, our senior class of 1970 was invited to contemplate the sacred nature of creation in an outdoor assembly. Crowded against the backdrop of the Vietnam war, the Kent State shootings, and other antiestablishment protests, Earth Day mattered little to me. It was lost in the plethora of politically-charged initiatives....

"Truth-Seeking Scientists Getting "Expelled" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 4/21/08 (715 words)   The theory of evolution is a proven fact.  Evolution answers such critical questions as how life emerged from non-living materials.  And evolutionists are true scientists interested in free inquiry and open debate.  These three absolute falsehoods are just a few of the popularly-held beliefs that are completely annihilated in Ben Stein's brilliant new documentary "Expelled."  And I do mean annihilated....

"Remembering Mom and Praising God" By: Tom Flannery  Posted 4/16/08 (700 words)   When Mom gasped suddenly and took her final breath in this life earlier this month, succumbing to the insidious disease of Alzheimer's, we were there with her.  My brother Jimmy, sister Kelly, our aunt Kathryn and uncle Reggie (Mom's brother and sister), and I were gathered at her bedside and watched her pass from this world.  Then we said a final prayer...

"Pastor Flunks Qualifications for Spiritual Leadership" By: Gary Hardaway. Posted 4/16/08 (580 words)  Though much loud clamor has recently surrounded Chicago “Pastor,” Jeremiah Wright, most of the noise concerns his political significance. How will he affect the presidential election? I think its time to change the key questions.  Is Jeremiah Wright actually a pastor? What does a pastor do? How does a pastor lead? What sort of person should a pastor be?...

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