Author: Jon Gauger

Dear Noah— What happened? In reading about your ark experience, it says of you: Amazing! I’m humbled by the long track record of your complete obedience and in awe of your guts and grit in building that ark. Such a long track record of good and godly faithfulness—and all of it lived in full view of your three sons and their wives. After spending nearly a year in that ark enjoying God’s supernatural protection and provision, Noah, you got drunk and behaved badly. For whatever reason, your son Ham made light of your foolish (and naked) state, which is a…

Have you heard about the trouble they’re having at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics? A Wall Street Journal headline says it best: “The Olympics have just begun. Olympic medals are already falling apart.” Apparently, the ribbons are not staying fastened to the medals, and several have fallen off. As of the writing of this blog, at least six Olympians have had their medals break—and some of those during the actual medal award ceremony! Olympic organizers are said to be investigating with “maximum attention.” You don’t say. But fragile rewards are hardly an isolated problem in the sports world. Formula 1…

Discounts are the secret sauce in retail marketing. But there’s such a thing as asking for too much, as I was unexpectedly reminded the other day. Nine-year old Ava enjoys imitating her mom, who answers phones for a garage door service company. Because I love messing with the grandkids, I decided to “join” Ava for one of her pretend phone calls. “Thanks for calling the garage door service company,” Ava chirps. “How may I help you?” “My garage door is broken,” I growl in a cranky voice. “And I need you guys to come fix it.” “We’re happy to help,…

Do you have too many clothes? I do. Shirts, more than pants. So, several years ago, we undertook an inventory. I yanked every T-shirt, dress shirt, work shirt (and other shirts) off the racks and shelves. We even hauled stuff down from the attic. With the help of Tim and Beth—our son and daughter-in-law—we launched a full-blown blitz. Every shirt was scrutinized, and most were tried on. In one amazing hour, we went through everything. Rising up from the kitchen table: an impressive mountain headed for the resale store. And honestly, the process felt strangely freeing. But if it’s healthy…

America has a neighbor problem. A survey of more than 1,000 Americans uncovered: More than two-thirds of respondents report hiding from their neighbors at least once. They do this by: Younger generations are nearly twice as likely to avoid their neighbors as people over 60: Ironically, people are spending more time than ever at home, but they’re not spending it interacting with their neighbors. According to the survey, 48% of people interact with their neighbors monthly or less, and nearly a third rarely interact with them at all. Jesus commanded us, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” a directive regarded as…

How can you resist a sale offering 90% off? We couldn’t. So, there we were at Hobby Lobby, scanning the aisle that promised unsold Christmas ornaments, wreaths, and ribbons. But what we found were decimations rather than decorations. There were trees missing trunks and reindeer missing limbs. We saw stars without their points, and holly without berries. A lady in the same aisle we ambled down was heard to mutter: “If it’s not broken, it’s not here!” She wasn’t wrong. We saw lacquer that was lacking, gold foil that had failed, and untold numbers of things unglued. To prove my…

I don’t know about you, but I confess to being easily shaken up. A critical email, a negative text, tension at work—it doesn’t take much, and I’m all shaken up. At times like these, many of us revert to unhelpful self-talk. Meaning, we bash ourselves. I can read the thought bubble in your mind. You’re saying, “Yeah, I’m easily upset by people and problems that oppose me, but that’s just who I am.” Maybe. But that isn’t who you have to be. David addresses this soul sickness when he invites us to better self-talk in Psalm 16:8. His personal testimony—his…

It’s official. Expedia’s latest data now reveals 2026’s most sought-after travel destinations. One can’t help but wonder if these nominations are somehow connected with the airlines whose tickets Expedia sells. But all of that aside, here’s what’s apparently in for the globe-trotting set. Occupying the number one Expedia destination spot is Big Sky, Montana, which features an “artsy vibe and frontier spirit.” Not to mention some awesome scenery. The second-place award goes to Okinawa, Japan, offering “an archipelago of semi-tropical islands.” You can almost see yourself immersed in the turquoise water. In third place is Sardinia, Italy, the “understated gem…

What would have happened if Jesus never came? What if there had been no announcement of “Joy to the world,” no “Angels from the realms of glory,” and no occasion for a “Silent night”? Here are ten ways life would be different if Christ never came: Without Jesus, nothing would resemble anything of the faith that is everything. Thank you, Lord, that Jesus did come, that we can sing joy to the world, that sin and sorrow no longer reign—all because Christ came “to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.” That’s what I call a Merry…

He was a fugitive on the run, desperate for a place to hide. The 38-year-old man had escaped a prison sentence for aggravated assault and resisting a public official. Fresh out of options, he noticed a life-sized nativity set and seized on a moment of inspiration. When no one was looking, he stepped right into that nativity scene posing as someone adoring the Christ child. That’s when an onlooker of no less stature than the town’s mayor walked by. At first, he was impressed by how “lifelike” the figure was. But then the mayor realized it was all a fake…