Subscribe  

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

It had been a while since my wife and I had been able to have a vacation. In fact, it even took a few all-nighters to get us to a point where we could leave responsibly. But we did! It was a bit unusual for a vacation, because almost always there had been at least one of the three kids with us. But our daughter was married, our oldest son was involved in full-time ministry, and our youngest son was in college. It became a vacation like the pre-children days a very long time ago. See, for most of our year, the needs of our children shaped our daily schedules and the needs of many people. And most of our vacations we had to factor in what the kids would enjoy. We planned a lot of vacation days around them, as you probably have as a parent.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

I was on a typical wall-to-wall schedule, and old man winter wasn't cooperating. I was traveling with my wife and we were slipping and sliding through this major snow storm to get to our flight at the airport. We heard on the radio that flights were being seriously delayed. I told my wife, "That airport's going to close. I know it is." So we made a last-minute decision. We called Amtrak. They had two seats left on the train, and we diverted from the airport to the train station.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Our firstborn - our daughter - was only a few days old when I first called her "Princess." She's been my princess ever since. I cannot imagine the agony of having her snatched from her school and taken who knows where.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Our son-in-law is pretty used to the scenery in Wheaton, Illinois. He lived there until he graduated from college. But one day he saw something sort of new that got his attention. He and my daughter were driving along, and my son-in-law pulled up to this stop sign on the street that he'd seen hundreds of times. He looked at the street sign and he said, "Hey, you know, I'm used to that sign being dull. It's not supposed to be that clear. I can really read it!" You want to guess why it suddenly had a sharpness to it that he didn't remember? Same sign; it hadn't changed. He just got his new glasses.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

You know it can't be good news when someone yells, "Everybody out of the water!" That's exactly what I heard the day I was in the water at the Jersey Shore. My first thought was Jaws. And since I didn't have my shark repellent, I got out pretty quickly.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

It is just an unforgettable experience to visit the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Everywhere you go in Haiti there are children. Their needs are tremendous, and they're doing what they've got to do to try to meet some of those needs.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

One of the milestone days of any kid's life is the day they get their driver's license. It's usually cause for great excitement and celebrating. It's been about a century, I think, since I first got my driver's license for that horse and buggy. But not long ago, I was a teenager again, celebrating getting my license. No, I hadn't lost it. The law didn't take it away. No, my license had expired, and the motor vehicle department had mailed my renewal form when my wife and I were on the road during a time of extended ministry.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Let's face it. I was overweight. I was! I was 210 pounds by high school at 5'8". Now, how did that happen? Well, I'm blaming it on a cowboy hero of that day. Yes, it was Hopalong Cassidy's fault.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

The idea of teamwork in a marriage isn't really that tough. For example, my wife prepares a meal, which is better than me preparing it because the Bible says, "Blessed are the merciful." So, what do I do? I clear the table and I rinse the dishes. I also eat, but that's not such a bad deal.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

All eyes were on Mom. That would be my wife. See, we had just taken our daughter to college 800 miles from home. Her two younger brothers were also with us. Overall, we were pretty impressed at the way the college seemed to think of everything that might concern a parent. Actually, it seemed like they had all the bases covered.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

In his senior year, our son got a dog; a little shih tzu named Missy. Now our son went off to college and the dog stayed with us. So in the midst of our wall-to-wall schedules, we got to take care of Missy, too. Now, she was a fun dog, I have to admit that. She was smart, responsive, and she also needed food and water, and walking, etc. Now, I know a dog is man's best friend. In this case, Aunt Vicky, my wife's sister, was this dog's best friend. She was so faithful in caring for Missy's needs; especially when my wife and I were traveling or gone early or late.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

I have a pastor friend who lives in a beautiful spot in the country. And he sees things there that I couldn't see where I lived for many years in an urban area. Like the bird life there was pretty much limited to sparrows, and there were a few rowdy crows, an occasional robin or blue jay. Oh, yeah, and then the parrot in our kitchen. But my friend, he was able to see and still is, all of those things with one of the classiest birds around-the hummingbird. You've seen them probably doing their amazing hovering thing and flying from one flower to the next. And they're always attracted to the most beautiful things in the yard. Now, my friend also gets to see one of the un-classiest birds around too-the buzzard. I mean, here's this amazing contrast. You've got the hummingbird and the buzzard flying over the same ground. But the hummingbird sees the meadow; the buzzard sees the carnage.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Look, it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it. And the bank does their part; they send you that photocopy of all the checks that you've written in the last month. And you get to compare those with what you've recorded in your checkbook. Don't you look forward to doing that? You get to participate in the necessary evil called balancing your checkbook.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

My wife has enjoyed a search for her roots, you know, as we have time. There's one particular relative on her father's side that was really giving her a hard time. He's not alive any more, so he didn't mean to. But we followed the trail that went back to her great-grandfather, old Herbert Alonzo.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

I guess you'd expect it. After all, his parents' wedding was the most watched on the planet. And now Prince William and Princess Kate have an adorable son, Baby George. I think he's the most watched baby on the planet. Every time he's out in public, the press is all over it. Not long ago, he took his first major trip as he traveled all the way to New Zealand with his royal parents. You know what the big news was there? Baby George's first "play day" in a sea of toys. Where the eight-month-old managed to find and commandeer the biggest toy in the room.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

If you've never been to a symphony, let me give you a little advice. Don't leave during the first few minutes. See, the musicians are tuning up during that time, and it doesn't sound like anything you'd want to stay for. That's not what the whole concert is going to be like. You might say to yourself, "Man, if this is going to be like this, I'm out of here. Is this what I paid for?"

Friday, June 6, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

I wonder if someday I'm going to be banned from restaurants. I've been known to give the help a hard time. Now, believe me, that's not what I'm trying to do. And if you're a waiter or a waitress, don't write a nasty letter to me. I just figure that, well, it gets so hum-drum and boring waiting on people and customers treat you like you're part of the menu or like a vending machine. It's fun to inject some laughs into their day.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Not again. That was my gut reaction when I saw the headline about another shooting at Fort Hood a while back. I just couldn't believe it when they said that the previous shooting on the base was five years ago. It seemed like yesterday.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Becky was my first serious crush. Well, as serious as you can be when you're 13! I thought she was beautiful. That's why I was so surprised when she said she had been in a violent automobile accident not long before that. She said it had done very serious damage to her face; all kinds of scars. But when I looked at that beautiful face I couldn't see any trace of it. Something had obviously happened to those scars. She told me that a plastic surgeon had worked on those scars. He had very skillfully taken those scars and recreated something beautiful!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Download MP3 (right click to save)

We tend to remember people by what they are most known for. Like, if you're from an older generation, well they would know Sinatra's "Old Blue Eyes" or you might remember Bob Hope. He had a trademark song, "Thanks for the Memories." Or let's say, "Linus" what do you think of? Right, the blanket - he's known for that. That's his trademark. Of course you have a trademark too...something that the people you work with, the people you go to school with, remember about you. That's your trademark. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, I know what your trademark should be, and it is so rare in our world today it's really noticeable. Didn't use to be rare, but it is now. And if you have it, you'll be noticed.

Subcategories

Your Hard Times

Your Relationships

Page 130 of 214

A Word With You Categories

                

GET IN TOUCH

Hutchcraft Ministries
P.O. Box 400
Harrison, AR 72602-0400

(870) 741-3300
(877) 741-1200 (toll-free)
(870) 741-3400 (fax)

FIND OUT MORE

Home / About

What We Do / Resources

News / Blog / Store

Contact Us / Privacy Policy

Donate

STAY UPDATED

We have many helpful and encouraging resources ready to be delivered to your inbox.

Please know we will never share or sell your info.

Subscribe

rhm-logo-white Copyright 2025 - All Rights Reserved - Hutchcraft Ministries

Back to top