Author: Jon Gauger

The immersive green textures drenched us in beauty as the tractor hauled us deeper into the woods. I suggested to five-year-old Emma that we have a “looking party,” pausing to notice and thank God for all His creation. We did. But why isn’t this a way of life for us grownups? I’m convinced there’s a price we pay for not really looking. First, we cease to be thankful. Second, we cease even to notice the magic. Doubt my claim? When was the last time you looked up at the sliver-cratered moon of ours and whispered, “Praise God!” Do we see those…

Are you a conversational narcissist? Most of us are good talkers but lousy listeners. So, here’s how to know if your conversations are consistently more about you than anyone you’re talking with: Most of us love to talk more than listen. That’s garden variety selfishness. But conversational narcissists are me-monster addicts. They’ve never encountered a chat that couldn’t become all about them. Protest all you like, but if that’s really you, your friends and family already know. I’m reading a book called How to Listen with Intention. Author Patrick King points out, “Conversational narcissism may look on its surface like…

If you think of an Oscar Meyer hotdog as nothing less than an assault on good nutrition, you can skip this blog. But if you hold a soft spot in your heart, a place on your palate—and your plate—for hot dogs, prepare to be amused. Those yellow-band packaged Oscar Mayer hotdogs go back to 1929. Sales grew steadily even throughout the depression, and Oscar Mayer became a household name. With commercial success, brand recognition, and the 1936 introduction of the kitschy Weinermobile, the company lacked but one thing: a catchy jingle. So, in 1963, Oscar Meyer sponsored a national contest…

It has the most powerful bite of any shark on the planet. At 1,300 pounds of bite force per square inch, the Bull shark is even more powerful than the Great White. By the way—puny humans like us have a bite force that maxes out at a mere 150psi. Bull sharks are found all over the world in saltwater oceans as well as freshwater lakes. They’ve even been found in Alton, Illinois—some 1800 miles up the Mississippi River! Not to creep you out, but almost no one in the water is safe from a Bull Shark. They eat dolphins and…

It might be the most abused word in the English language: Free. Aware of our undying quest to get something for nothing, advertisers love to splash this word all over brochures, billboards, and websites. But that free word is almost always accompanied by an asterisk—essentially, a tiny technicality that allows greedy people and their companies to pose as if they are offering something they are not. Nowhere is this more evident than on the web. Waiting for my flight at O’Hare, I was invited to click on “ORD_free_Wifi.”  But if you click it, you are taken to a website eager…

Emma’s face reddened with embarrassment. In a large group setting, the five-year-old blurted out a response to a question that was merely rhetorical. Emotion took a few minutes to kick in, but then hot tears drizzled down Emma’s cherubic face. I hugged, kissed, patted, and assured her there was nothing to worry about, nothing to be ashamed of. She quieted some, and Emma brightened at my invitation to play a game of Uno. Important note: when you play Uno with a five-year-old, their little hands can’t hold all the cards. So, Emma and her sister Ava spread the cards out…

Our pergola’s beautiful new steel roof looks fantastic, and it’s so much cooler sitting outside now. But we scarcely had time to enjoy our now-shady space when I looked up to find a hole in one of the boards I didn’t recall drilling. I chose to ignore it, hoping it was just my imagination. Except the next day, there was no imagining the bits of sawdust raining down on the covers of our outdoor furniture. You guessed it—we had ourselves an infestation of carpenter bees. And did I mention that their toilet tank empties directly onto our deck chairs when…

The landscaping is as manicured as any garden at Kensington Palace. Inside, the walls are adorned with soothing art. A sunroom lined with rocking chairs beckons us to pause and unwind. But we are not here to relax. We are here to say goodbye. As we inch down the halls, I struggle to harmonize the solitude I see with my eyes and the storm I feel in my gut. We are here to visit my brother and his dying wife. She has courageously fought three types of cancer over three decades, and her journey now takes her to a hospice…

It’s a teenager’s worst nightmare: waking up with a giant red pimple in the middle of their forehead. In the world of dermatology, it’s just a blemish, but to a teen, it’s life and death. But for followers of Christ, there’s a much worse blemish: an attitude of grumbling. My wife, Diana, has observed that I can easily whine—which is Grumble’s twin. Diana’s right (she usually is!). So, I’ve had to confess this sin. For some of us, grumbling is a visit. For others, it’s a destination. And some of us don’t appear happy—unless we’re grumbling. But if you and…

What if the only people allowed to sing worship songs this Sunday were those who had worshipped God by sharing the gospel with someone? What if the only worship leaders who could stand up on stage this weekend were those who’d offered a verbal witness for Christ within the last twelve months? How loud would the music be in our churches? I suspect “not very.” Has any generation in the history of Christianity had more worship songs than ours? We love inspiring worship music (I do!). But is it possible we love to sing more than to obey? Many believers…