Relationships

Proof of Our Devotion

We always want proof. Just go apply for a passport, if we doubt that. And it’s not true just in legal matters. In relationships, we’re always on the lookout for signals that we’re the center ...

Finding Beauty in the Wildest Rose

Roses have thorns, yet we don’t chuck the bushes from our gardens. The blooms are too magnificent. Instead, we find a way to handle the rosebushes in such a way that the thorns do as little damage ...

Fair Play

Visit an old-world market. Haggling is the name of the game. I offer this, you counter my offer. We swing our perceived value of the merchandise back and forth until we come to an agreement. I only ...

Our Windowglass Wardrobe

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a child’s story designed to illustrate the empty façade of vanity. In the tale, two tailors pretend to possess a cloth that can only be seen by the most cultured ...

Taking One for the Team

Human beings work best in partnerships. Friendships, marriages, neighborhood watches, city governments, and on up the line are the lubricant that keeps our society running smoothly. Striking out on ...

The Sons of Thunder

Superhero movies are all the rage right now. Drive by any theater and read the marquee. We’ll see the names of Superman, Thor, and the Green Hornet; all the Marvel characters and more that have ...

Our Salvation Proof

We’re used to providing proof. Before computers became common in store checkout lanes, customers could pay with cash or checks. Anyone who wrote a check had to provide identification to prove they ...

Sharing Our Loaves and Fishes

Everyone has blessings of one sort or another. Aunt Bessie may not have much money, but boy does her lemon pie beat any other dessert at the dinner ...

Harnessed for the Lord’s Work

Sometimes we want to jump in with both feet. Go whole hog. Give it both barrels. Head over heels. We mean we plan to give 100% of everything we’ve got, so that the job gets done to the best of our ...

Stitched with the Thread of Christ

It’s a sound we dread. We sit or bend over, and the rending of fabric catches our ears. Our clothing is damaged. We immediately search for a mirror, inspecting our garments to find the tear. Is it ...

The Yin Pollutes the Yang

Opposites. They make the world function as it should. Take two magnets, put the opposing poles together, and we can create an electric ...

Living Up to Our Aspirations

Man up. What those two words really tell us is to hold ourselves to a standard. Don’t lower the bar when the road we’ve chosen becomes difficult to ...

Setting Up Our Wall

Bunker mentality is sometimes all we have left. We must put up a wall for protection from the wiles of the evil one. In its simplest form, we turn off the phone to keep telemarketers from bothering ...