Thursday Thought

How old do you have to be before you're too old to encourage someone else? I think I found the answer–in the "Bird Room." That's what we call the meeting room at the nursing home where my mother-in-law lives. A large wood and Plexiglas display houses a dozen or so colorful little birds, fluttering from nest to branch and back again. So the "Bird Room" is an obvious choice for relaxing and visiting loved ones. While we were there last time, a smiley chap named Bob reintroduced himself to my mother in law, who seemed to recall him. Bob had…

Anxiety swirled like the impurities in a glass of pond water. I was feeling uneasy…a bit cranky—and I didn't quite know why. Call it a case of the Monday Morning Blues.   Or was it?   Pacing myself along the mile-and-a-half walk to work, I attempted to take some sort of emotional inventory and became the the subject of my own interrogation: Why are you so uptight, Jon?             Not sure. Did you have a bad night's sleep?             No.  Slept reasonably well, actually. Are you gainfully employed?             Gratefully, yes. And would you describe the work you do as meaningful, or…

To me, they represent the most exotic, most luxurious travel experience in the history of flight.  The Boeing Clipper ships.  Built from 1934-1941, these were essentially flying boats with no capacity to land on the ground at all.  Hence the name, “Clipper ships.” The largest of these planes, the Boeing 314, had room for 74 passengers—and could even provide sleeping accommodations for 36 of them.  And remember–this was before World War II. A dining salon served meals on linen covered tables as passengers relaxed in comfortable chairs.  These planes featured washrooms, hot and cold water, air conditioning, and a lounge…

How likeable are you? I'm serious. If a group of honest folks were to assess your likeability on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best…how would you score? My guess is most of us think we are more likeable than we really are.  We minimize our crankiness, our quirkiness….while maximizing the good. This is an important question if we care about how non-believers perceive those who claim to follow Christ. Wanna know why I think most Christians are less likeable than they think they are?  Check out these stories. One time attending a national convention for…

Like you, I’m trying to cram in the last bits of summer.  Out at our camper, I sat outside with my tablet.  Dusk was past, yet I was largely unaware of the light show going on around me: fireflies. At length, I took a break from my reading to (finally) observe the lightning bugs. Consider these gentle light bearers whose lifespan is only about two months.  They have no batteries—at least not as you and I consider batteries. These bugs just light up. The glow of their light bursts is brief, but somehow comforting.  And despite our advances in technology,…

If you are charmed by the aroma of pine trees and find magic in the sway of long needle branches, the place for you is White Pines State Park. The timber lined drive is itself worth the trip. But the real draw to this 385 acre Illinois park is the log cabin dining room.  Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, its massive timbers, dark with age, offer a gracious backdrop for lunch.   Having placed our food orders, my wife and I sat back in our chairs and took in the ambience.  That's when my eyes came…

They say the town is only one square mile–has less than a thousand residents.  But every year, half a million people come for a visit. I'm talking about the phenomena known as Shipshewana, Indiana.  This tiny strip of land is home to one of the largest flea markets in the entire United States—and some of the best eating on the planet. More remarkable than the food or the farms is the faith element.  A strong Mennonite and Amish presence is evident in the Bible verses that you see, the music streamed into restaurants and the Christian books and concerts available…

Horses clip-clopping along the streets, black wagons in tow.   Women in bonnets and men in suspenders.    You don't need a time machine to see all this.  Just drive three hours east of Chicago to Shipshewana. During vacation season, this northern Indiana town of less than a thousand swells with tourists hungry for a taste of the simple life—along with a heapin' helping of Amish cooking.  The Amish and Mennonite people have set the gold standard when it comes to country roast beef.  Their noodles, fresh breads, apple butter and fruit pies are also stand outs.  Not to be missed: the…

Captain Edwin Musick was a man’s man, a true adventurer. He learned to fly just before World War I and became one of the first pilots in history to log more than 10,000 hours. Known as “Meticulous Musick,” he demanded precision of himself and his crew—from the way they maintained the aircraft to the creases in their uniforms. He was hired by Pam American as their chief pilot and went on to set ten world records, including the first flight to the Pacific aboard the China Clipper flying boat. In recognition of this stunning achievement—and many other aviation firsts—Time Magazine…

Deep inside, I covet having a perfect lawn.  No bald spots…no weeds. Just lush greenness.  But I just don't work hard enough on the weeds. My wife does most of the weeding at our place. Recently, I observed an outbreak of weeds in our hostas.  Unable to resist a pun,  I called it a “hosta” situation.  In a rare moment, I took the bold step of a weed intervention. Level one found me yanking two foot thistles out of the ground.   Thanks to the rain, most all those weeds were easily extracted–roots and all. Level two meant going on hands…