The Runaway Street Preacher
One Sunday afternoon after a special council meeting at a downtown church in Allentown I went for a walk just to check out some of the recent changes in the city. I came across a young man, probably in his thirties, who was preaching on a busy street corner. He had his hat on the […]
Navigating Uncharted Territory
You’ve heard that coincidence is God’s way of staying anonymous? Well, I had to wonder what God might be trying to tell me when in less than a month I “just happened” to encounter three very concerned grandparents facing remarkably similar struggles regarding grandchildren they loved. The first incident occurred when a long-time friend and […]
Parable in the Parking Lot
When I pulled into the grocery store, I was expecting to get some vegetables, not step into a Bible story come to life. The Bi-Lo certainly didn’t give me any hints. It was a little run down and the rickety carts in the parking lot looked like they might have been around in Moses’ day, […]
The Whole Truth?
On the way to the recreation center I met an older gentleman walking a small fur ball on steroids! I expect this little four-legged creature’s only goal each day was to meet and greet as many humans as “doggily” possible! Even non-dog lovers would be won over by this enthusiastic little charmer who greeted me […]
Celebrating Characters!
I love meeting new people. Every single person is unique, with their own unique history, personality, and perspective. But some people are, shall we say, more unique than others! Some terms I have heard to describe these people on the far end of the continuum are oddball, offbeat, quirky, peculiar, strange, kook, weirdo, eccentric, and […]
What Happened to the Unicorns?
The sanctuary was filled with alligators! There were also long-necked geese (I’m sure some of the older folks were concerned about the carpeting!), humpty-backed camels, some excited chimpanzees, and they’d even managed to somehow fit an elephant through the front door. But most extraordinary of all were the unicorns. I had never seen such a […]
The Ugly American
During a recent cruise vacation, Rita and I were having lunch at the open dining restaurant that Rita referred to as “the trough” when I overheard two couples talking at the table behind us. The one gentleman explained how badly he felt about taking so much food and then not being able to eat it […]
The Lesson of the Lodgepole Pines
During a recent trip to Glacier National Park, Rita and I took one of the most amazing and awesome drives we have ever experienced. Along the road we saw several areas that had been destroyed by fire, great swaths of charred black pines, dead and yet fighting to stay upright. On closer observation, you could […]
Meeting a Mormon in Mid-air!
On a flight from Philadelphia to Minnesota, on our way to Glacier National Park and eventually the Canadian Rockies, my wife and I happened to be seated beside a banker from Calgary Canada I’ll call Daniel. After we had pressed Daniel for the best places to visit in Canada, as often is the case, I […]