Rite of passage: Wonders of my world
Recently, I took an unusual tour. It wasn’t a tour of a world-famous site, unless you think “Jim the Wonder Dog” is one of the wonders of the world. Jim was a Llewellin Setter who lived in my hometown of Marshall, Mo. Jim was famous not because he could do tricks but because he could understand what you were saying. If you ordered him to pick out the man who worked in the hardware store, he would walk through the crowd and stand...
Rite of passage: The original daylight saving time
I recently celebrated my 54th daylight saving time, and it hasn’t gotten any better. Not only did March come a day later than it usually does, but I had only 23 hours in which to concoct, fabricate and construct this article. I could have used the extra hour, so please forgive me if it isn’t up to your normal standard. I think I just need to get a cup of coffee and sit on the back porch praying for Jesus to come and get me. As far I...
Rite of passage: It made my heart laugh
Author’s Note: As I was going through my stuff trying to reduce the clutter, I came across something I wrote many years ago. It made my heart laugh not once but twice. So I thought I would share it again. We slept in mosquito net-covered hammocks, cooked our meals in a big iron pot over three logs that had been pushed together and walked from village to village presenting the Gospel. If you’ve never been to Panama, let me tell you...
Rite of Passage: The easy way
I regularly get emails from Jesus. Each week, He tells me I am valued, and he wants me to come and see him. I have visited him on a number of occasions, and it’s always a blessing when I do. He takes care of my needs. Every time, he reminds me of the “easy way.” The roads are narrow, dangerous and filled with potholes, but he tells me he’s got me covered. If I come to him, I know I will have many adventures, and I will never be...
Rite of passage: Yada Hoodies
I don’t remember how or when or even where we were when my wife and I started labeling all three grandsons collectively as the “yada hoodies.” Many times when they come walking up to our door, they are goofing around like the Keystone Cops, so calling them “yada hoodies” seemed appropriate to us. My wife got a text from my daughter-in-love one morning, saying she and the three grandsons were coming over. I was in the other room when...
Rite of Passage: Pictures and pondering
I used to be a professional photographer. For years, I worked at Community Press Photo in Chillicothe, Mo. Not only did I take wedding and commercial pictures, but I spent a lot of time in a darkroom developing film and making prints. My partner in the business was an older man named Ted Blankenship; he was more like a father than a boss. He took me under his wing when I was only 12, and I soon realized that the fastest way to make...
