It’s Sunday again—the day ordained to rest, the day we take to contemplate faith, hope, love. Even if you’re not a Christian, most “good” people stop and consider the hope and love aspects. I don’t know how to approach these three words from anything but a Christian perspective. I make no apologies for my chosen faith—not only was I raised to be a Christian, but I embrace the theology on the deepest level I am capable of delving as an adult. I believe that popular culture tends to label Christians as anything but deep thinkers. Perhaps they should look again,… 

Until I moved to the city, I always enjoyed (expected) personal delivery of my mail into my mailbox at the end of our extensive driveway in New Mexico.  I have fond memories of that mailbox ranging from reactions about the things received, good wishes with the packages sent, and, of course, the special delivery the day before the box was installed when two of my sons locked their youngest brother inside “to see how much the box would hold.” Since living in Austin, we receive our mail via one in a cluster of mailboxes. (By the way, it costs $353… 

Every time I drive Capital of Texas Highway 360, I think about the things that I notice and why. Do you find a pattern? Do the same objects tend to catch your eye over and over? (The tacky signs with purposefully misspelled words). Reciprocally, do you miss the same things each time? (The mom and pop pizza place that’s closing because everyone else missed seeing it, too)? How can we do that? How do we miss a sign just as colorful, just as evident over and again? Even the definition of noticing is the investment of singular attention. By virtue of… 

I can remember when the term blog was not one that everyone recognized. (Does that “label me” un-cool?)  To date, I find myself wondering if it has ever been defined accurately, so I looked it up on that accurate and exact authority—the Web.  Here’s what I found: A regularly updated web page, typically run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.                                                   .. A website containing a writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other websites. It seems to me that some bloggers have few parameters where the subject of their blog is concerned. Maybe they don’t need a definition, but my… 

COURAGE, THE BEST “EN”—PUT Hearts wither, almost from the onset. I’ve always liked to think of them as innately strong and resilient. If nurtured properly, if vested in right thinking and conviction, IF rooted in the soil of faith-based enablement, then yes. They are strong. But, left to the devices of human nature and gravity, hearts are prone to the weakest and easiest course—doubt, fear and hesitation. This is not to say that I am cynical about people. I believe in the valiant and irrepressible courage of the human heart. I love a line from that beautiful WWII novel, Rose…