The passing of Ronald Reagan has brought about interesting discussions about the role Christianity played in shaping his political life. The consensus seems to be that Mr. Reagan was defined by his faith, perhaps not as overtly as our current President, but in no less impactful ways. This is proper and commendable, in my view;… Continue reading Church Matters*
Unintended Consequences
Today’s email newsletter from the Southern Baptist International Mission Board features an article by Erich Bridges describing some of the challenges — and the victories — of Christian evangelism in the Muslim world. This reference to the impact of The Passion of the Christ caught my eye (emphasis mine): Governments in some Muslim countries are… Continue reading Unintended Consequences
Never Forget
We’ve got a lovely Memorial Day planned: 20 mile tandem ride, complete with American flag flapping in the breeze; a couple of nicely marbled ribeyes thawing on the kitchen counter, awaiting an afternoon grilling; a batch of Fredericksburg peaches (frozen from last summer but still muy delicioso) for peach shortcake; perhaps a viewing of Return… Continue reading Never Forget
Desert Desert Dessert
Jasmine and I were debating about whether to post about the misspelled word in a front-page headline in today’s issue of the MRT. I haven’t checked to see if the offending headline made it onto the website, but knowing Jeff McDonald, I’m sure it was corrected before it went online. Jasmine is an educator and… Continue reading Desert Desert Dessert
The Lowdown on Dropsy
I was reading in the Bible book of Luke last week, and came across this passage: One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,… Continue reading The Lowdown on Dropsy
Of Mice and Men*
So…which do you think is worse: finding an empty mousetrap, or one which has done what it was designed to do? It probably depends on whether you’re viewing the situation with or without a Y chromosome. I was glad to see that little mousy corpse splayed out under the sink this morning, while MLB was… Continue reading Of Mice and Men*
Napalming the Kitchen: Overreaction or Necessary Precaution?
One of the unavoidable steps in replacing windows in one’s house is the removal of the existing windows. This will inevitably result in the leaving in the side of one’s house what is technically referred to as “big freakin’ holes,” which may also be translated into verminese as “Grab the kids, Ethyl…the buffet is open!”… Continue reading Napalming the Kitchen: Overreaction or Necessary Precaution?
Prayers for the Simple of Heart
Prayer is a big part of my life. I start each morning with a cup of coffee and a Bible, and spend the next thirty minutes reading and praying…with an emphasis on the latter. It’s not always easy to get up at 5:30 a.m. to do this, but if I don’t, I know that I’ll… Continue reading Prayers for the Simple of Heart
Delving the Mysteries of the Dishwasher
Is there any household appliance less trusted but more relied on than the dishwasher? This thought came to me this morning as I was loading the breakfast dishes. We don’t, of course, put dirty dishes into our dishwasher, as that would be an abomination. Who knows what goes on inside of those things? They can’t… Continue reading Delving the Mysteries of the Dishwasher
Will You Read The Gazette A Century From Now?
It’s a fair question, considering that Network Solutions is now offering 100-year domain name registrations. That’s right. For just $999.99, I can reserve fireantgazette.com* for a century, thereby ensuring that I can continue to blog to my heart’s content well after I’m dead. That carries some mind-boggling implications. Extrapolating from the first 18 months of… Continue reading Will You Read The Gazette A Century From Now?