Category Archives: Christianity

Use the “show-then-tell” approach

Posted on September 6, 2014 by salooper57

If there is a rule in writing fiction, it is this: Show, don’t tell. John Updike impressed that principle on me many years ago in an essay on writing short stories. More recently, I ran across the same principle at … Continue reading →

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You are worth more than you think

Posted on August 23, 2014 by salooper57

How much are you worth? That depends on who is paying the bill. A chemist could get about 50 dollars out of your body (though the cost of extracting the chemicals would be prohibitive). Airlines value a person at about … Continue reading →

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There is no substitute for understanding

Posted on July 19, 2014 by salooper57

Most drivers have no idea what happens when they turn the key in their car’s ignition. They don’t know how turning the key makes the car move. They don’t understand the battery’s role in the process, or the operation of … Continue reading →

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Use the Right Tools for the Job

Posted on July 5, 2014 by salooper57

  Millions of people have experienced the value of a rich and healthy spirituality. Yet everyone knows someone whose religion has not only not helped him, but has made him worse. How is it that one person finds treasure in … Continue reading →

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Your Short Story’s Place in God’s Long Story

Posted on June 28, 2014 by salooper57

Americans love the Bible. But they love the Bible like they love an ideal, not like they love a spouse. They know the Bible is important; they believe it provides inspired guidance for a life well lived; they hold it … Continue reading →

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Accidents happen … or do they?

Posted on June 21, 2014 by salooper57

I experienced a funny coincidence when looking to purchase a new mattress. I had done my homework, investigating different manufacturers online, looking at reviews and reading what the experts say. My wife and I comparison shopped several mattress stores and … Continue reading →

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The prelude to an adventurous life

Posted on June 7, 2014 by salooper57

When asked what he thought of his pastor’s sermon, a man said: “The preacher starts preaching at 11:15. And every Sunday when it gets to be noon I look at my watch … and it is only 11:25.” When our … Continue reading →

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The Home of the Disinterested

Posted on May 31, 2014 by salooper57

Floyd Collins was a legend in his own time. But his time ran out. Floyd Collins was a Kentucky farmer who dreamed of striking it rich by turning the Crystal Cave that lay beneath his family’s farm into a major … Continue reading →

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Finding God at the bird feeder

Posted on May 17, 2014 by salooper57

A couple of weeks ago my wife bought oranges at the store, which I cut in half and placed on our shrubs and in the maple tree just outside our kitchen window. A few days later I hung the oriole … Continue reading →

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Recover Eternity In Order to Find Time

Posted on May 3, 2014 by salooper57

  There was an old farmer who wore a pair of overalls every day of the week, except Sundays. He was a wise, thoughtful, slow-speaking man. The changing fashions of the world around him didn’t interest him, but he thought … Continue reading →

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