Author: Jon Gauger

Nope. It’s not just your imagination. People are saying please and thank you less and less. UCLA researchers suggest the word please is going the way of the corded phone and VHS tapes—quaint if you have shelf space. In their now-published study of one thousand “request attempts,” adults used “please” just 7% of the time. Among children, it was used in 10% of requests. According to a 2023 report, just 52% of US adults consider politeness an essential quality for kids. Here’s the kicker. “When ‘please’ is used, it’s typically to stave off resistance from the requestee. Turning down a…

The morning was cold, the ground was hard, and Emma’s nose was runny. She and her sister Ava had spent the night at our camper. Though they’d set up chair cushions for mattresses, they’d slid off onto the trailer’s hard floor by morning. That’s when five-year-old Emma began to sneeze. “Bless you,” came big sister Ava’s reply. Emma sneezed again. “Bless you!” I replied. Less than a minute later, a third and a fourth sneeze followed. But a fifth sneeze awakened Emma’s curiosity: “Wait! How many ‘bless you’s did I get?” “Five,” I answered, unable to stifle a chuckle. Then, I…

What does Hamas feel about their war with Israel? In America, we get a heavily filtered look at the facts. However, the actual sources reveal at least three chilling alarms many Christians overlook.   Alarm #1: Hamas intends to repeat the October 7 Attack. During an October 24, 2023 interview on Lebanese television, Hamas member Ghazi Hamad declared: “Israel is a country that has no place on our land […] because it constitutes a security, military, and political catastrophe to the Arab and Islamic nation.” But there's more! Hamad vowed to repeat attacks like October 7 "time and again until…

As I walked through a Jacksonville airport store, I was confused. On the table was a stack of red and white lifeguard shirts. But since when can just anybody buy and wear a lifeguard shirt? Don’t you have to first be trained? Certified? Looking closer, I realized the shirts were merely souvenirs for a popular swim spot known as Jax Beach (shown in much smaller print). No doubt the shirts sell well because our age is consumed with “looking the part.” Going into a sporting goods store these days, you'll find very little sports equipment. It's primarily athletic wear, or…

I saw something unusual the other day at the King's Camp as I played with Ava (7) and Emma (5). The front wall of “Shelter B," where outdoor church services are held, features a wooden cross. Nothing unusual about that, right? But firmly attached to one side of that cross, we discovered a bird's nest. Round and reedy, the thing perched perfectly on the crossbeam. Naturally, Ava and Emma urged me to find out if there were any eggs (or babies) inside that nest. But a respectful search revealed nobody was home at the time. At first, the presence of…

Imagine a fragrance with the hypnotic power of ocean waves or the delicate dance of a candle flame. That's the perfume Diana spritzes every morning. The scent floats through our home and totally distracts me from whatever I'm doing. I immediately track Diana down for a kiss! It's one thing to be distracted by your spouse, but it's another to be distracted by Jesus. How often does that happen to you? What I mean is, as you’re reading the Word—or praying to the Living Word—does He turn your head? Does Jesus occupy your thoughts? Are you fascinated with Him? In…

To inhale the intoxicating fragrance of lush green grass —suburbia at its finest. That’s all we wanted. But should growing new grass be all that difficult? I couldn't wait to see the results as I sprinkled the "guaranteed-to-grow" seed on that long patch of soil. But there were none. Not in three days. Not in a week. Not in ten days. Not a single sprout of green. I was frustrated. I'm no green thumb, but I'd never experienced this colossal failure when planting grass. With a last gasp of hope, I grabbed the hose and watered it one more time….

Do you memorize Scripture? Lots of folks don't. And the ones that don't are convinced the ones that do have an easier time with it. When I ask this question about Bible memorization, the most typical responses I get are: “I’ve tried, but just can’t seem to memorize.” “My brain doesn’t work so well anymore.” “Those verses just don’t seem to stick.” However, I have good news! You CAN memorize Scripture—even if (like me) it takes you longer. Much longer! I can relate to those who say, "My brain just doesn't seem to work so well anymore." However, most of…

The invitation said, “You and a guest are invited to an informative seminar that will change how you view and plan for the future!” If that subject line turns you toward retirement savings, annuities, and IRAs, think again. This scintillating seminar is offered at a local funeral home as a complimentary lunch event. You'll forgive the morbid punster in me who came up with a few alternative titles to their lunch-and-learn offer: Burn and Urn Caskets and Ask-its The Grape-ful Dead (assuming fruit is on the lunch menu). Bad puns aside, these helpful folks want me to “understand my options”…

In a stairwell not far from my office is a sign in red letters: Area of Refuge. This is where you’re supposed to go for safety when things turn dangerous. That image came to mind the other day when I read Psalm 2. Verse 12 says of God, “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” The thing that struck me is the reality that when faced with a storm—financial, personal, marital—any storm, we have a choice in what we designate as our refuge. I'd not given it much thought, but every storm brings a choice: Where ya gonna go…