Category: Faith
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Word of the Year?
Oxford University Press just announced its 2025 Word of the Year. Rage bait. I know it is two words, but it has only one meaning. Rage bait is defined as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive.” One only has to scroll through social media before one…
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God’s Calling Card: Beauty
There are times when the world around us can feel overwhelming…and ugly. Evil distracts us with temptations. Politics has become divisive, social media addictive, and culture wars beget hate and prejudice. It’s easy to grow indifferent, even callous, to the marvel of the world around us. And as often happens, when beauty becomes distorted in…
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I Have Reached the Age When…
I am having a senior moment. Oh, not an episode of forgetfulness. On the contrary, this senior moment is one of reflection — pondering observations on life and living that have allowed me to embrace such descriptions as over-the-hill, long in the tooth, and my personal favorite — retired. So, here are some random thoughts…
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Pursuing the Wow in Marriage
It’s hard to believe that I could learn something about love and marriage from my two-year-old grandson. But I did. In church, no less. Years ago, my wide-awake, perpetually curious two-year-old grandson sat in the Crying Room at church. While he was well-behaved on this particular Sunday morning, a nearby four-year-old could not sit still.…
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Idol Worship?
Idol worship. The phrase conjures up all kinds of images — ancient biblical names like Baal and Moloch, and modern idols like sex, power, money, and fame. I recently discovered another blogger, BeautyBeyondBones.com, who shared a reflection titled, The Idol of Self. It was an honest, open admission that anorexia had nearly claimed her…
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My Oxford Year and Secular Rom-Coms
This past weekend, my wife and I were in the mood for a good romantic comedy. Netflix had just released what appeared to be another Hallmark-like rom-com, My Oxford Year. To our surprise, it proved to be more of a tearjerker than an emotionally satisfying feel-good experience. It was also a perfect example of the…
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Tender Mercies
Over the years, my faith has grown in spurts. But it is growing. I have long purposed to always-be-a-student in regard to my faith journey. I worship the God of the Old and New Testaments, and as a Christian, I delight in discovering some new insight that draws me closer to my Creator, my…
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Fear Stalks a Hospital Waiting Room
Maybe it’s because it was Friday the 13th. Maybe because it was the waiting room of a Cardiac Surgical Center in one of the largest hospitals here in Augusta. Maybe because you are sitting in a room with people who share the same heavy anxieties. But fear stalks a hospital waiting room like a hungry…
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Sua Sponte
Ash Wednesday marks the traditional start of the Lenten season. Christian faith communities observe this season in various ways, including revivals, renewal weekends, fasting, and sacrificial acts — and don’t forget those Friday night fish frys. Lent is a time to focus on repentance, forgiveness, and receiving God’s mercy and grace. It is a time…
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What Are Some of Your Biggest Pet Peeves in Life?
Call them what you will: pet peeves, sources of irritation, challenges to my tolerant spirit, or simply things that “get my goat.” Whatever you call them, I confess to having a few. What are the pet peeves that rancor my soul? In no particular order, here are the annoyances that peeve yours truly: My list…
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