Author: Jon Gauger

You’ve noticed, haven't you? Your groceries are shrinking. But not the prices, mind you. A few weeks ago, I made a batch of brownies. Problem is the (brand name withheld) company has thinned down the amount of mix in the box to the point those brownies looked more like a chocolate-flavored postage stamp in a 13 x 9 pan. My suspicions were confirmed a few days ago when making brownies again. Different brand this time, but the directions told me to use TWO boxes!  We've seen the same thing with other foods. Though the macaroni box remains the same size,…

We weren’t trying to pry. But the story just tumbled out. Over dinner, Parker and Lia updated us on their adult children. Two of them were divorced, and one of them—their daughter, Clara—moved back home with her two little girls. While we were touched hearing the stories of how Parker and Lia were stepping up, creating a loving environment for these little ones, our hearts were also sad. Here is a young mom going it alone. And despite all the great support from Clara’s parents, this is a rough ride—for all of them. But there’s more to this story. We’ve…

Do you long for the America that used to be? I remember the day when no one questioned a prayer at graduation. Or considered a mention of hell as hate speech. Not that America was ever totally Christian, but one could argue there was a day when this nation had more of a collective conscience concerning the Almighty. Statistics show many more of us used to attend church. Or read the Bible. Or pray. And most folks, born again or not, affirmed some notion of a coming judgment day. Back before America welcomed Buddha, Allah, Krishna, Zen, and the force,…

Nothing says Chicago like a flat tire in January. In the snow. When it’s twelve degrees outside. Our daughter and her four kids experienced that "joy" a few weeks ago, just a mile from our home. But I was excited to use the new jack our kids had given me for Christmas, so we pumped up that car, loosened the lug nuts, and…nothing. The wheel did not—would not—budge. That's when I found my hammer. Then a bigger hammer. Eventually, the wheel came loose, and boy, did it look funny. Was it the cold or the fact that it had been…

When we go camping, the Saturday night root beer float is a tradition that approaches the sacred. There's something of heaven in the marriage of ice cream and root beer. And no one comprehends that more than a child. We had four of them that weekend (kids, not root beer floats!). Throughout our time, we enjoyed ice cream at Culver's, ice cream at McDonald's, and ice cream at the canteen. But the fact that we didn’t have the Saturday night root beer float at the campground was not lost on the grandkids. Upon reviewing the weekend, their mother asked them…

What will we do in heaven? Some say we’ll be playing harps or singing praises—maybe flying about with wings. But very little is told us in Scripture. In Revelation, we get snapshots of some worshipping and singing. Then there are the 24 elders who fall down before God and cast their crowns at His feet (Rev. 4:10). But what about us? When Thessalonians assures us “so we shall ever be with the Lord,” many of us are looking for the “rest” of the sentence. We shall be with the Lord doing…what? Some have suggested we will be doing in heaven…

Why do I seem to lack peace? (Or am I the only one feeling this way?). Sure, the growing sense of uncertainty—even insanity—in our world is a factor: I don't feel peaceful when I look at how inflation is chomping away at our grocery budget. I don’t feel peaceful when I look at Russia poised to invade Ukraine. I don’t feel peaceful when I look at the political venom spewed across the media. I don’t feel peaceful when I look at the parade of paganism our country celebrates. All of this is a massive part of my problem: where I’m…

Ava's head plopped low. Exhaling, she gave off a sigh full of as much frustration as a five-year-old can muster. She'd tried putting on her puffy winter coat all by herself. Instead, she'd managed to ball it up in a pretzel. That's when her sweet voice intoned, “Can you turn my outside inside?” If only fixing adult problems was as easy. Within the last 24 hours, my wife and I have been made aware of: A three-year-old who has just been diagnosed with a severe brain tumor. A couple who wonders if the family's mother will survive cancer that has…

What if Jesus wore cologne—and it rubbed off on you? A former boss was ferociously fond of a strong cologne which he wore religiously. You could step into the empty elevator on the first floor and clearly sense his fragrance even though he may have ridden ten floors up in that elevator ten minutes earlier! It still hung thick in the air. After a recording session, the splash of his cologne even managed to rub off on the studio headphones. And if you ever shook his hand, you surely "shared" his cologne for some time afterward. Did you ever consider…

How would you feel if you witnessed the detonation of an atom bomb? Seventy years ago this month, Christian Life Magazine featured a cover photo of 250 soldiers observing an atomic bomb explosion at a test site in Nevada. The probing headline asked: "What's Coming in '52?" This feature responded to an ominous article from Collier’s Magazine titled, “The War We Do Not Want.” So, the magazine assembled a group of leading Christian businessmen of the day, asking them to assess where American Christianity was at—and where it might steer in the new year. D.F. McKechnie, prominent CPA, advised, "Saved…