When you realize you’re in a jam, you want to break out of it as quickly as you can. As soon as you sense trouble, your instinct is to fly in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. At the beginning of last year, when I reflected on 2018, I knew I was in dire … More Reflections on 2019: Let It Happen
We have come to this point once more, my friend. It is the end of the year and lists flow forth from various blogs and websites like a cascading mountain stream in the spring. It’s time for me to add to that torrent with my very own list of the top ten best books I … More Best Books Read in 2019
About this time last year I made the goal of recording one song a month for an entire year. With this post, I have accomplished that goal! It has been fun choosing, practicing, and recording these 12 tunes, but it has also borne its share of stress. Speaking of stress, that leads us into the … More Christmas Song: Christ was in the Manger
They say hindsight is 20/20. Certainly looking back at the past gives one a greater advantage of perspective. You don’t just have immediate context that you’re working with but can trace how whatever policy, philosophy, or world change influenced the history that followed. Hindsight is popular in America right now. It’s in vogue to look … More What The ‘Fighting Indians of the West’ Teach Us About Human Nature
They say you’re never too old to keep learning or to try new things. It is curious how the younger you are, the more you go exploring. My toddler has a zealously adventurous spirit compared to mine. The older I get, the less I want to branch out. Part of it may be fear, part … More The Young at Heart Adventures of Mrs. Pollifax
There’s a baby on the horizon as well as a holiday, so I’m scooting out November’s song a little early. This one is based on Psalm 96 and is something of a song of thanksgiving, which is apropos for the month. Enjoy! Let the Heavens Be Glad Psalm 96 Words and Music by John Underdown … More Song: Let the Heavens Be Glad
The great irony of difficult times is that in the same period humanity can be seen at atrocious lows and glorious highs. Take any such instance in history and you’ll find this to be true. Some people show themselves to be abusive monsters; others give us hope that we can keep our dignity even as … More Loving Thy Neighbor in ‘The Grapes of Wrath’
