Fun

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It’s Still Junk Food

I was looking through an old cookbook, circa 1955, snickering at all the recipes for Jello “salads” and casseroles laced with cream of mushroom soup (with crushed saltines on top). It was a cuisine based on white bread, white potatoes, and white rice. I grew up on this sort of diet. My mom was the consummate consumer, enthusiastically trying every new mix that Betty Crocker could come up with.

Of course, these days we are much more nutritionally savvy. We eat whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, and brown rice. Our fruits and veggies are organic. We shun junk food. Our consciences are clear. Right? Then explain this:

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What’s Your (Prayer) Style?

In honor of the National Day of Prayer, which happens this Thursday, I’m devoting today’s post to prayer. In my many years as a Christian I’ve noticed that, just as we worship according to widely different traditions, we pray in different ways, too. Here are a few styles you’ll probably recognize from your own experiences.

The Shouter
Heads are bowed, the room is quiet, our thoughts are focused on God… and someone leads off with a 150 decibel “O GOD!” Or perhaps it’s a pastor in front of the congregation, praying in his or her “preaching” voice. Do they think God is hard of hearing? Or are they concerned with keeping everyone else awake?

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Dry Cleaned

I’ve been cleaning out some old files lately. In the process, I came across some letters we sent to supporters back in 1995. One contained this little story that Pete told about a lesson he learned during his six week trip to South Korea (for a global conference on world evangelization). Re-reading it made me laugh all over again. I hope you enjoy it too.

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Fifth Friday Fotos

When Pete and I were on our New Year’s road trip a few months ago, we decided to go home from New Orleans by way of Arkansas. It was a new state for us—my 46th, in fact—and we were curious. What was it like?

I realize we weren’t there at the best time of year—the trees had long lost their colorful fall foliage and spring buds were months away. Still, we drove through the Ozarks (those are mountains?), and came across this cemetery out in the middle of nowhere.

With Easter just around the corner, this reminder of death and resurrection seems timely. Besides, have you ever seen a cemetery like this?

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Merry Christmas!

It seems that every neighborhood has a few residents who go all out for Christmas. They must spend days putting up elaborate displays to ensure that theirs is the most illuminated house on the block.

We only hang a string of white “icicles” across the front of our house, so one of our Christmas traditions is to drive around and enjoy the lights around town.

This year I offer these photos as my Christmas card to you, my readers (all three of you). Thank you for sticking with me through good articles and not-so-good articles. Your willingness to read my thoughts, and even comment sometimes, is your gift to me. May your Christmas be filled with the Light of the world.

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Gingerbread Persons

Making and decorating cookies is one of our family’s Christmas traditions. I don’t make as many kinds as I used to, since the last thing I need is more tempting desserts hanging around the house, but when I tried skipping the cookies altogether, we all felt that part of Christmas was missing.

With our kids grown, we’ve evolved a new tradition. I make the cookies—either rolled butter cookies or gingerbread men—and then we all get together to decorate them. (See the bottom of the page for my favorite gingerbread cookie recipe.)  At the end of the day, the cookies go home with the artists.

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Christmas Shopping Suggestions

Thanksgiving is over. While some of us have jumped the gun and started decorating for Christmas, Black Friday acts as the starting gun for the full-fledged marathon. We now have permission to hum “All I Want for Christmas” and other spiritual carols, erect plastic snowmen in our yards, and go shopping!

In general, I do not like to shop, especially for myself. I consider it a chore, not a recreational activity. But with our family’s birthday season in full swing and Christmas only a month away, I’ve been going outside my comfort zone—actually visiting stores and looking through catalogs. I have to admit, shopping for others can be pretty rewarding.

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The Perfect Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. That lovely holiday, with the family gathered around the table. Soft music plays in the background, snow gently falls outside. Dad is carving the succulent turkey while the children sit quietly in their seats, mouths watering. The conversation circles the table as each person describes the many things they have been thankful for this past year.

Thanksgiving, that hectic holiday. Mom is trying to gather the family, put the final touches on the dinner, pour the drinks, and carve the turkey, all at the same time. At one end of the table, Aunt Mattie is well into yet another stomach-turning description of her recent root canal. At the other end, Uncle Milt has clearly imbibed too much eggnog. Grandpa is complaining that the pouring rain is making his rheumatism flare up. The eight-year-old twins are poking one another with their forks and fighting over who will get the drumsticks, while the football game blares from the TV in the next room. No one has seen Dad in the several years since he ran off with that floozy account manager.

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Fifth Friday Fotos

Once again, we have a month with five Fridays, so it’s time for some fun photos. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there are far too many overly cute animal pictures circulating, all with clever baby-talk captions. Instead of adding to the pile, I thought that I would let you exercise your brains a bit, and suggest some appropriate captions for some photos of my own:


Western Gull

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