Monthly Archives: November 2015
QTMs for 11/30/15: AS I MUSED . . .
My mind took a side trail that climbed above the one I thought I was on. Yeah, I was absorbing the pastor’s thoughts about the whole meaning of the Advent season. 4th row, left side. Just like most Sundays. Involved. Listening. There. It’s just that my mind figured since my spirit and body had assumed … Continue reading
QTMs for 11/28/15: HOW TO ENJOY TAKING A SHOWER
I knew the imaginative title would hook you. I knew tackling something you take so much for granted would pique your interest. I knew I’d have to come up with a third “I knew” statement or your reading “happy” would slide off the dirt road into the ditch and you’d stay buried to the mental axles until I … Continue reading
Thanksgiving 2015: I DON’T KNOW WHEN IT STARTED
“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. … Continue reading
#22: WHAT CEILING? WHAT BOUNDARIES?
Lock in on this. No real or imagined conspiracy to hold you down and keep you back can succeed if you refuse to let it. Ayn Rand said that the evil of the world is made possible by nothing but the sanction you give it. The only boundaries on your ability to create, to fulfill … Continue reading
THE SUMMER OF MY DISSONANCE – A Granger Story – Chapter 1
There was a chill in the pre-dawn air as I walked along Bedell. At the intersection of September and October, Fall had peeked around the corner at me, breathing a cool greeting that made me shiver and shrug my worn but comfortable brown leather jacket up farther on my neck. I absently half-grinned my return greeting, equally cool. Weather … Continue reading
QTMs for 11/19/15: . . . BECAUSE I DID.
I wondered. Is this it? Am I done here? Do I die largely unknown in a soiled and checkered little town whose past glories could not cover up its present sordidness? Does the earthly part of what’s left of me lie in dank oblivion in the boot hill of a tiny, easily forgettable place too mean to die, … Continue reading
QTMs for 11/17/15: THE GOD OF “I CAN’T”
When your spirit’s crushed, your vision dimmed and you’re sure your tank is as dry as a Kansas driveway in July, to have someone look you in the eye and say, “I believe in you” is often the difference between getting back up and no one ever hearing of you again. Very few of us … Continue reading
QTMs for 11/12/15 – THE HUMOR OF THE LAMBS
Three-year-old Gabriel, was intently playing when his father began to talk to him. “Shhh! Shhhh, Daddy.” Gabriel said sternly. “I’m playing and I have to listen to my imagination.” Laughter is a powerful tool in a powerless situation. ….. Charles Chaplin JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After … Continue reading
QTMs for 11/9/15: AND NOW, THIS. . .
I want to take a moment out of the normal posts to reiterate a very important point regarding our nation’s first responders… Many of them are military veterans who’ve come back home and are doing their best to integrate back into the American social scene. With their specialized training and experience, it’s not difficult to understand … Continue reading
#21: PUT SOME PUNCH IN IT!
Whatever you’re doing, doing it with some enthusiasm makes it go better and improves your attitude. Doing whatever it is with some flair, with creativity, makes the whole thing fun! The task itself may be less than wonderful. It might even be the worst scut work in the place, the lowest job possible that NO … Continue reading