Author: Buddy McElhannon
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The American Dunkirk and The Indispensables
World War II history buffs recall the British retreat at Dunkirk. Backed against the sea, the British miraculously evacuated most of their forces despite being cornered by the unstoppable German war machine. This Allied defeat actually saved the British, French, and Belgian forces to fight another day and ultimately win the war. But did you…
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The Saddest Thing about Christmas
An early morning trip to the grocer on December 26th revealed a surprising discovery. All the Christmas decorations had been removed, and New Year’s Eve promotions were already prominently displayed. Apparently, Christmas 2021 was over. Hmmm, it must be time to turn our attention to the next holiday. Or is it? Not so fast, Ebenezer.…
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Female Reindeer?
We had our now traditional Christmas Eve Eve Family Gathering yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed the blessings of being together with sons and daughters and spouses and GRANDKIDS!!!!! The joys of Christmas are magnified when celebrated with family. And, as usually happens when this clan gathers, memories are made, and stories are created for future Christmas…
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The Invasion
The Invasion had been planned for centuries. The evil Prince had rebelled against his Sovereign King and delighted in using lies and deceptions to torment the people of his former Sovereign. He sneered at his captives. He mocked how they were powerless to resist his temptations. They were his slaves now and served only him…
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Don’t Drink The Kool-Aid
Growing up, Kool-Aid was a welcome refreshment on hot summer afternoons. Television commercials touted this 1950s version of an energy drink for the fun it provided, the ease of mixing it, and its mom-loving low cost. Years later, I realized the sugar content of all soft drinks, including Kool-Aid, served as a shortcut to the…
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The Years That End in One
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) The Psalmist reminds us that our days in these earthly bodies are numbered. How exactly do we “number our days?” For me, seasonal changes are a time for reflection. It’s the Fall of 2021, and here in the American…
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Ethical Ways of Viewing Porn?
Is it possible to sugarcoat evil? To normalize the reprehensible? To rationalize doing immoral things? Apparently, in today’s culture, the answer is “yes.” Axis is a Christian-based media organization aimed at helping parents navigate the cultural changes that impact teens. They have a periodic email called “Culture Translation” that sums up current cultural trends. It’s…
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The Sacrifice of Freedom for Order
What do a 1980s evangelist, an Imperial Officer of the Galactic Empire, and the current Bishop of Los Angeles have in common? I connected those dots recently when three of my grandsons spent a weekend with us. As we continued watching the Star Wars spinoff series called The Mandalorian, the “aha” moment occurred during a…
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A Gentleman’s Game?
In the movie Bagger Vance, young Hardy Greaves, played by J. Michael Moncrief, caddies for Matt Damon’s character, Rannulph Junuh. Hardy sums up his view on the game of golf, “Ask anybody. It’s fun. It’s hard, and you stand out there on that green, green grass, and it’s just you and the ball, and there…
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Dollars and Sense — Part 4
After Part 1 of this series on Dollars and Sense, a friend reminded me how in the late 1970s my late wife and I helped him and his wife use the envelope system to set up their budget and account for every penny they spent. They credit that advice to helping them get out and…
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