TheBuddyBlog.Com

Author: Buddy McElhannon

  • A Place to Remember

    Are there places in your life that hold a bad memory.  The mere sight of the location triggers an emotional response.  Painful experiences from the past can do that. One such memory for me has since become a treasured remembrance.  Well, that may be a bit of an overstatement.  But, at the very least, it’s…

  • The Significance of Gift Wrapping

    The Significance of Gift Wrapping

    My wife and I take two different approaches when wrapping gifts at Christmas time. She is a connoisseur of decorative packaging, a guru of gift presentation, a wizard of wrapping, a master of ribbons and bows—well, you get the idea. She takes delight in a gift well-wrapped.  In her mind, taking the time to find…

  • Saying Grace and Planting Seeds of Virtue

    It has long been our family tradition to say grace before meals.  I have found it fascinating how many different ways we refer to this simple act before eating.  Some folks “say grace”, while others “return thanks” or simply “say a blessing.”  Whatever, you call it, it is an act with profound meaning.   Having…

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    Ten Things I Like About October and Five That I Don’t

    Having lived in 8 different decades, it occurs to me that my favorite month of the year is October.  Ok, April and December are close seconds, but the first full month of the Fall is always a welcome sight on the calendar. Of course there are some minor distractions and dislikes for every month, even…

  • The Transcendent Beauty of Stained Glass

    Stained glass windows in churches have long been a source of fascination and inspiration for me. I know I can worship God anywhere, anytime, and I do not need beads, crosses, or colored windows to do so. Yet, I have experienced moments with a grand sense of peace, serenity, and God’s presence, all from sitting…

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    The Theme Park of Misery — The Teenage Years

    Any parent who survives the teenage years of their offspring has an abundance of stories to tell.  I am no exception.  However, to avoid being disowned by my five adult children, I will refrain from sharing my encyclopedia of memories I possess of their embarrassing, crazy, scary, hilarious teen years.  I’ll save those stories for…

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    Badges of Honor

    Men, listen up. Marriage and fatherhood are life-changing experiences — for yourself, but more importantly, for your wife and children. I’ve written before about the qualities, virtues, and attributes of a REAL man: responsibility, sacrificial love, respectfulness, kindness, self-control, humility, and tenderness, to name a few.  Authentic manhood, in other words, is defined by one’s…

  • The One in Front of Me

    The One in Front of Me

    Whether Christian or not, most people agree that Jesus is the most fascinating person to have ever lived.  The world can debate his divinity, but few can argue about his unique place in history — or his method of reaching people. Here was an itinerant preacher in a remote area of the Roman Empire who…

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    My Middle Name is Someone

    One of the keys to having a long and successful marriage is for a husband to develop the ability to understand the words spoken by his wife. It is a universal truth, long accepted by the male species, that women can say one thing and mean something else.  One only has to consider the use of…

  • May the Fourth Be With You
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    May the Fourth Be With You

    Growing up, the 4th of July was always a fun time.  We celebrated our National Day of Independence with fireworks, parades, barbecues, and family picnics.  As American humorist Erma Bombeck once said, “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who…