Author: Jon Gauger

I will never forget the first time I met Elizabeth Philhower. Pulling up to the farm with her daughter, Diana, I was struck immediately by how different a place this was from my home. I grew up in the shadow of O’Hare airport surrounded by congestion, noise, crowds and planes. But Calvin and Elizabeth’s place was peaceful, quiet and surrounded (it seemed to me) by corn—and cows. To know Elizabeth Philhower was to know she always had a place for you at the table. Last-minute dinner guest? You were welcomed. You brought an extra friend with you? Never a problem….

Recently, I had the honor of talking with Will Graham.  As the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, Will carries the family name well.  Better than that, he carries the name of Jesus well. In the course of more than three decades at Moody Radio, I’ve been blessed to meet and interview a number of Will’s family members: Anne Graham Lotz, Franklin Graham (Will’s Dad), Gigi Tchividjian, and Billy himself, whom his grandson refers to as “Daddy Bill.”  Can I tell you a secret, something I’ve seen up close?  Apart from their love Jesus, the most important thing you need to…

How do you mix the Fourth of July, the story of Gideon, and an urgent desire to pass on biblical truth to your grandkids?  I’m not at all sure I know. But here’s what happened. All four of Josh and Lynnette’s grandkids showed up at our house for an overnight on July 4th.  With ten-month-old Sadie finally asleep, it was time to get Josie, Caleb and Lucy to bed.  Bible stories are a grand tradition, and we have a couple of favorite kids’ Bibles we use (I strongly recommend Ken Taylor’s, The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes from Moody…

Today we bury Elsie.    At 92, she was still young.  She emailed.  Used Microsoft Access.  Was an ace at Wheel of Fortune.  She was a regular out at our campfire, spinning stories into the sparks and dark.     We will miss her.     Born in 1924 in Chicago, Elsie once met actor Charlton Heston, at the time a student at Northwestern University.  She attended a production at the Goodman Theater.  Later that evening, Charlton Heston gave Elsie and her girlfriend a ride from the theatre to their home.   Elsie commented that she wasn’t very impressed with…

Swimming.  Boating.  Horseback riding. For most kids, that's standard stuff at summer camp. Not when you’re a special needs child.  But the ministry of Joni and Friends is quietly rewriting the book on all this.  One chapter of that story played out last week in Michigan at a gathering exclusively for people like Michelle and their caregivers. She has Down syndrome and lives with my friend Dan and his wife, Joan. Michelle was one of about sixty-five “kids” (many of adult age) who attended, along with their caregivers.  And everybody—everybody—was treated lovingly. “The whole point is to let the kids experience normal life,…

An open letter to the Honorable Bernie Sanders, United States Senator   Dear Senator Sanders, I read transcripts of the conversation you had last week with Mr. Russell Vought, President Trump’s nominee for deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. During that exchange, you quoted Mr. Vought as saying, “Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned.” Senator, you reacted by saying, “In my view, the statement made by Mr. Vought is indefensible, it is hateful, it is Islamophobic, and it…

In any given week, approximately 79 credit card offers find their way to our mailbox.  So awhile back, I caved in to an invitation from American Airlines to receive their Platinum Select card.   In addition to one free checked bag for my wife and me, the big pay-off this card dangled was Group 1 boarding status.  Diana and I were excited to try out these new perks, standing in line at O’hare airport. Our suitcases were checked in free, just as advertised.  The boarding process, however, was another story.   Turns out Platinum Select is not nearly as exclusive a…

Camping has a way of making you sleep well at night.  I mean really well.  Especially if you’re a kid.  Once, when our grandson Caleb was with us, his “batteries” ran so low, he was unable to finish buttoning his pajamas before slumping over on the couch, out cold.    Recently, Caleb paid a visit to our camper again, along with his three-year-old sister, Lucy. It was bedtime, and the spunky little girl was winding down in a hurry.  So we quickly flopped down the camper’s couch, made the bed and tossed her in it.     I usually end…

With graduation and wedding seasons upon us, my wife and I have lately been to more than our share of parties. Sprinkled into that mix: three funerals.  Recently, Diana and I attended a gathering that stretched our comfort zone.     He clutched secrets of his own… For example, there was the newly married couple, both at least in their sixties or maybe seventies.  Theirs was not a wedding that we attended, but mixing with them was easy. She blabbed effortlessly—unendingly.  He was as silent as drying paint.   Still, the white-haired groom clutched secrets of his own.  A financial…

Death is a strange thing.  But some have made it even stranger by preserving body parts of the deceased.  I am completely serious.  Following are eight examples from an article in The Ultimate Book of Randomly Awesome Facts, published by Scholastic. Scientist Isaac Newton’s tooth was set in a ring and is now said to be worth thousands of dollars. Russian leader Vladimir Lenin’s brain was sliced into 31,000 slivers so that it could be studied (wonder what they’ve discovered). A lock of George Washington’s hair is kept in a locket in a Maine museum. Scientist Albert Einstein’s eyes were…