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My dad loved to tell stories. Not surprising considering he was Irish, and Irishmen are known for that.        One day, probably when I was complaining about something, he told me the parable of the long spoons. A Rabbi decided he want to know the difference between Heaven and Hell.  He studied all…

Violence and schools –there is just NO way those two things should go together.                                                                          Schools are places of promise,…

Every year, at the beginning of Advent, I take a small dollar store ornament out of the kitchen cabinet where it sits all year – a tiny glass snow globe with a snowman inside and ‘Joan’ written across the front. It spends Advent and Christmas on my counter next to an icon of Mary and…

When I was growing up, and walking the mile to grammar school (yes, that really happened, every day for years), my cousin and I would get there early so we could stop at the little candy “store” run by a neighbor out of her porch. We would stock up on penny candies, like fireballs and…

At some point in their lives, each of my six sons was given a bike. Some took better care of their bikes than others. The one with the greatest challenges “Drew” (name changed to protect the not-so-innocent). At first, Drew was very excited about his bike with the flashy trim and the pegs on the…

When I was young and I would complain about some injustice in my life, my father loved to say, “Life’s not fair. Deal with it.” I thought it was just his way of skirting the issue, of not having to deal with my earth-shattering problem of the moment. Now I realize it was one of…

The girl in the advertisement was really pretty – sparkling smile and big brown eyes. Maybe 15 years old, maybe younger. That’s why it seemed strange that she was in an ad for hair coloring. I mean, why would a teenager feel the need to dye her hair? That’s like saying, “I’m not good enough…

So, here’s the question. How do we keep walking with God when there is no way to make sense of the senseless? How do we keep walking with God when we are carrying so much pain? How do we keep walking with God, when every day we see the evil of violence that tears apart…

The morning a baby blue jay landed in our yard was memorable. The chubby chirper had obviously been pushed out of the nest by Mamma blue jay but was now having trouble with a second lift-off. Confident I could handle the situation, I strolled across the lawn in my pajamas, carrying a laundry basket. But…

Hanging on the wall of my local Christian book and gift store is a poster entitled, “And He Shall Be Called.” It’s a simple poster comprised solely of the various names or titles referring to Christ found in the Bible. Below each name, in very small print, is the scripture reference that includes the name.…