It's August, so it's county fair season in the American Great Plains. My three-year-old grandson had never been to the fair, so on what must have been the hottest evening of the year, we shepherded our novice fair-goer through the animal barns at the Johnson County Fair in Gardner, Kansas. First, the chickens. The chickens…
When my soul is required of me, I want to be rich towards God.
Like many young families, when I was growing up, we had a dog. A big dog. A 100-pound, pure bred, beautiful German Shepherd. Prettiest of that breed I’ve ever seen. He would have been the perfect childhood pet, except for one thing. The dog didn’t like me much. Oh, he was plenty protective of me,…
It's not my season of life to write any new content right now, so I'm re-sharing my attempt at post-Christmas poetry from four years ago. It's every bit as true this Christmas as it was then. -----------—-—----------------------------------------------------- Twas the day after Christmas And all through my brain I can't help but wonder What happened yesterday?…
One of the most difficult commands of the Bible? "Give thanks in all circumstances." 1 Thess. 5:18 Against the daunting backdrop of 2020, this is a real stretch. The usual joys of life - concerts, live sports, plays - all gone. Personal liberties - church attendance, gathering as families, hugging and shaking hands - voluntarily…
NOTE: In one of my favorites posts from 2019, here are my thoughts on Colossians 3:23. Fame. In 2019's social-media driven world, it's all about being famous. Today's American culture considers entertainers, sports stars and "influencers" as the only people who are really important. That's why the simple, plaintive words of the old country song…
The young dad, not yet in his mid-30s, sat unsuspectingly in the church pew on that Sunday morning, unaware that the course of his life was about to change. These days, you might think a gun was involved. But there wasn't. Instead, there was a sword. On that summer Sunday in 1994, the pastor pulled…
A uniquely American holiday, this "Thanksgiving." In 2019 America, the last Thursday in November in the United States is set aside for food, family, and these days, football. But more than 400 years ago, stories of the "first Thanksgivings" in North America tell very different tales. The remaining Mayflower settlers celebrated surviving a harrowing year…
I've picked "Papa." I am well aware that grandchildren pick their own names for their grandparents. And yes, I'll answer to whatever name my grandson calls me. But for what it's worth, I'm going to at least suggest to the little guy that he call me "Papa." That's not "Paw-Paw," as they say it in…
Graceful, yet purposeful. Whimsical at times, and yet powerful. Exclusive to each individual as a fingerprint. And more tangible evidence of God's creativity when he made each of us, different one from another.
Mike G. Smith 