The Betrayal of the Needle
His son stared up at the doctor with wide-eyed curiosity — right until the needle hit. Then he turned to his father with a look of pure outrage. How could you let this happen? It's the same look we give God when the job falls through, the prayer goes unanswered, the grade comes back at 52. But what if the needle is the protection? What if the closed door is the blessing? A retired AP Economics teacher looks back at crushed students, career disappointments, and a mother-in-law's quiet wisdom at a funeral — and finds a Father who never betrayed anyone.
Overcoming Herculean Challenges
I used to think pirates were as imaginary as the Tooth Fairy until I realized I was just confusing the real thing for a cartoon caricature. It’s easy to do the same with God, especially when we are staring down a challenge that feels absolutely insurmountable. If you feel like a million-to-one shot today, come read why "one plus God" is the only majority that actually matters.
The Tumbleweed and the Tree
I’ve lived through enough Texas hurricanes to know that every crack and pop in the dark sounds like an ending. After Hurricane Ike, I saw century-old giants standing tall while younger trees were split like matchsticks, their survivors’ scars proving that toughness is grown, not given. If you’ve spent your retirement feeling more like a rootless tumbleweed than a sturdy oak, come read why those marks on your heart aren't blemishes—they’re the proof that your roots are finally finding the stream.
The Real You Is Not Employable
I leaned across my desk and told a young man that his "real self" simply wasn't very employable. It was a blunt moment in my classroom, but it sparked a realization about why we all need someone who loves us enough to tell us the unvarnished truth. Real friendship isn't about constant flattery; it’s about having the courage to offer a "faithful wound" that leads to a better life.
Love God and Do What You Will
I found myself staring at a blank screen today, paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice for this new writing journey. It’s easy to dress up indecision as "waiting on the Lord," but I’ve realized that staying stuck actually denies the very providence of God. If your heart is aimed at Him, you can finally stop over-analyzing and find the freedom to just do something.
The God Who Wastes Nothing
I used to look back at the countless hours I poured into failed projects and think, "What a waste." But I’ve learned that God’s economy is a bit like a bag of walnuts—where we see trash to be swept away, He sees the exact ingredient needed to refine us. If you’re currently kicking yourself over a season of life that feels like "spoiled meat," come read why your abject failures are often the very tools God uses to scrape away pride and prepare you for the chapters yet to be written.
The Dollar-Thirty-Nine Tribute
I’ve eaten on cruise ships with artisan bakers and dined in restaurants where the bread has a crust you have to fight with, yet every Thanksgiving, I still buy the cheap brown-and-serve rolls in the plastic bag. I don’t buy them for the flavor; I buy them because they are a dollar-thirty-nine tribute to a working-class father who didn't have much, but always made sure we were fed. If you find yourself holding onto a "useless" tradition this year, come read why those little echoes and gummy rolls are the way we keep our loved ones at the table long after their chairs have gone empty.
The Ghost in the Blind Spot
I have a habit of checking my rearview mirror five times before a lane change, just as I’ve spent weeks scouring European forums before buying a single camera. This obsessive need to triple-check every detail makes the command to "walk by faith and not by sight" feel like a steep, misty climb for a man like me. If you’ve ever felt like your "what if" imagination is a ghost in your blind spot, you might find comfort in the fact that God treasures the cautious Thomases just as much as the bold Peters.
The Ghost of “If Only”
I spent years listening to a voice on the radio tell me I had missed my window, convinced that a mortgage and a family had made my dreams impossible. At thirty-two, I found myself delivering pizzas and feeling like God had shipwrecked my life, only to realize that "if only" is a ghost that doesn't know how to tell time. Whether you’re facing a broken relationship or a career that feels like a dead end, come read why there is simply no such thing as "too late" when a sovereign God holds the calendar.
The Great Spectacle Hunt
I spent fifty years wearing glasses because of a third-grade scheme that backfired, only to end up after cataract surgery as the very man I used to laugh at—the one with reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. But misplacing my spectacles on top of my own head taught me a lesson about spiritual drift: having the truth nearby doesn't help much if you aren't actually looking through it. If your perspective has felt a little blurry lately, come read why a closed Bible is just like a pair of lost glasses—and how slowing down to see things God’s way is the only path to real peace.