I have heard a lot of folks say “something needs to change.”  Those words apply to a lot of issues and topics.  I know sometimes change is bad, sometimes change is good.  Recently my world was shaken when Culver’s announced they would be switching from Pepsi products to Coke products.  Thus, no more Mountain Dew at Culver’s.  I was and am heartbroken, I was not ready for such a significant change  .  However, in the greater scope of things, it is just not that important.  I mean, they still have custard  .  There are greater issues in the wor ..read more

I heard this song the other day and, although I had heard it many times, for some reason this time I listened more intently to the lyrics and then researched the lyrics when I got home.  I was surprised at what I found and, well, let me see what you think. In an interview, the artists reveal that the song “expresses how the rat race of life has taken away from people’s ability to communicate, except at the most superficial level.  True communication that took place around the dinner table is now replaced by dinners in front of the TV, with people only speaking just because they have ..read more

I hope this finds you all well.  Please post on Facebook pages and Websites.  Thank you. I heard this song a while back and it really moved me.  The music got you swaying and singing and was upbeat (and may have led to the gas pedal being pushed too far)  But then I got listening to the lyrics and they told a whole different story. The song was Harlem River Blues by Justin Townes Earle.  It was written in 2010 and was the Americana Music Awards Song of the Year in 2011.  One critic writes: “I really like this song as the concept seems to be original.  The se ..read more

We have been doing a Sermon Series for Advent called The Gifts of the Nutcracker by Matt Rawle.  It looks at Christian themes in The Nutcracker.  It has been awesome and I have learned a lot and hope others have.  I wanted to share one of his devotions. “Sometimes, Christmas is a struggle.  Just as the Nutcracker and his soldiers fight the evil Mouse King and his group, we have our own battles to face – things that just don’t go away and give us a break when the holidays roll around.  Christmas can be one of the most difficult times of the year. Though the Nutcracker a ..read more

I think it is interesting how music and lyrics can bring back memories or send you in to deep thought (at least for me).  The other day I heard an old song (The Long Black Veil sang by Sammi Smith).  The lyrics begin with: “Ten years ago, on a cold dark night, there was someone killed ‘neath the town hall light…” The lyrics made me ponder… 43 years ago on a cold, dark afternoon, there was someone almost killed ‘’neath the pop factory light.”  Sometimes it doesn’t seem that long ago, sometimes it does.  But that afternoon I tried to take my life but a gentleman and another w ..read more

The Conversation (the Conclusion from November 2/3). I think it is interesting how music and lyrics can bring back memories or send you in to deep thought (at least for me). The other day I heard an old song (The Long Black Veil sang by Sammi Smith). The lyrics begin with: “Ten years ago, on a cold dark night, there was someone killed ‘neath the town hall light…” The lyrics made me ponder… 43 years ago on a cold, dark afternoon, there was someone almost killed ‘’neath the pop factory light.” Sometimes it doesn’t seem that long ago, sometimes it does. But that afternoon I tried to take my life ..read more

This October it happened again … I aged another year! Ugh! Yet, I am glad I am here and still hanging on. Recently, as I was driving up north, I heard a couple of songs on the radio. The first was “I’m Still Hangin’ On” by John Anderson. The lyrics caught my attention: “So many friends along the way I lost, and they’re not here today. One wrong move, and you’d be history, I was tryin’ to pull my life together, You could knock me down with just a feather, How I’m still here remains a mystery. I’m still hangin’ on, there were people makin’ bets, that I’d be dead and gone, ah, but I’m still hangi ..read more

This October it happened again…. I aged another year! Ugh! Yet, I am glad I am here and still hanging on. As I was driving back from up north, I heard a couple of songs on the radio. The first was “I’m Still Hangin’ On” by John Anderson. The lyrics caught my attention: “So many friends along the way I lost, and they’re not here today. One wrong move, and you’d be history, I was tryin’ to pull my life together, You could knock me down with just a feather, How I’m still here remains a mystery. I’m still hangin’ on, there were people makin’ bets, that I’d be dead and gone, ah, but I’m still hangi ..read more

“He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray.” (Matthew 14:23) Sometimes we just need to get away… for various reasons. To relax, to rest, to recuperate, to meditate, to regroup, to breathe…. There are so many reasons. Where do you go? I guess I have my own little mountain. It is secluded. In fact, you might walk by and not realize it is there. It is somewhat hidden and it is high up. My wife calls it the Space Station. My cousin calls it an igloo. Some might call it a hunting stand. I call it my mountain, my meditation place. I can go there year around (it has a little heater ). It is sol ..read more

He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray.” (Matthew 14:23) Sometimes we just need to get away… for various reasons. To relax, to rest, to recuperate, to meditate, to regroup, to breathe…. There are so many reasons. Where do you go? I guess I have my own little mountain. It is secluded. In fact, you might walk by and not realize it is there. It is somewhat hidden and it is high up. My wife calls it the Space Station. My cousin calls it an igloo. Some might call it a hunting stand. I call it my mountain, my meditation place. I can go there year around (it has a little heater ). It is soli ..read more