What is independence?  Definitions abound, but what is it in actuality?  The Encarta Dictionary describes it as "freedom from dependence on or control by another person, organization, or state."  At its core, it's freedom from dependence or control.  It grants self-autonomy and self-directedness free of encumbrances.  Independence provides the … [Read more...]

I grew up in the shadow of a generation who faced the depravity of the Great Depression and then fought through the horrors of World War II.  The deep sense of patriotism and solemn respect for our country ran high among these great people. Therefore, as the Fourth of July once again rolls around on the calendar, I find it appropriate to take a … [Read more...]

Too often we don’t appreciate what we didn’t work for or had to sacrifice for in one way or another.  Hand something to us with no effort exerted on our part to acquire it, and we’ll probably exhibit some scantily shallow and rather quickly fleeting degree of appreciation for it.  But make us work for something and expend actual energy in order to … [Read more...]

Did you ever have one of those surreal moments when it seems like something snaps in your head and suddenly you see everything like you never saw it before?  A lot of things can trigger these moments . . . an argument, a child leaving the home, a death, a job loss, a divorce, a birthday, unexpected contact from a long-lost friend or any number of … [Read more...]

Over the years I have written an extensive array of books, articles, blogs and quotes. During special times of the year, I search these writings for quotes to both enrich and enlarge our celebration of that particular season. For Father’s Day, I have selected a handful of quotations that express the power and importance of being a father. In a … [Read more...]

The definition of manhood has undergone a torturous number of questionable revisions.  Some of those revisions have been reflectively thoughtful.  However, most of them appear to have been largely thoughtless.  It seems that we’ve attempted to realign the definition of manhood in order to better align it with other definitions in our culture that … [Read more...]

There’s pain, and then there’s intensely deep pain.  We all have pain.  We all have the pain of failed experiences, sordid disappointments, wasted opportunities and wasted investments that we thought were opportunities.  There’s the pain of not being where we imagined being, of being forced to embrace dreams as more fantasy than substance, of … [Read more...]

We all have our monsters, whatever they may be.  For some, it’s fear of failure.  For others it’s lack of self-confidence.  And then there are other monsters like fear of relationships, or fear of risk, or fear of being vulnerable, or fear of rejection.  Then there’s the more obvious one’s like fear of heights or confined spaces or crowds.  The … [Read more...]

What do we do when there’s something that we don’t like or find difficult?  How do we approach the tough stuff; the things we’ve done or said or participated in that “stick in our craw,” that dog our steps and are just plain revolting and downright ugly?  What do we do with the less than savory stuff; the stuff that leaves a bad taste in our … [Read more...]

The desperate need for prayer in our world can hardly be understated.  It is the invincible porthole that grants us access to the halls of heaven and the throne of God.  It is the hope for this world of ours as the solutions of men are simply that…of men.  And since men have crafted the devastation and darkness that lays thick and dense around us, … [Read more...]