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Monday, July 16, 2018

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"Please help us." That's what the people stranded on the roof of their house wrote on the sign that they waved over their heads. They represented so many thousands of New Orleans residents who were left stranded and in deadly danger by the floods of Hurricane Katrina. The wind and the rain of that category four hurricane were bad enough, but it was when the levees broke that suddenly major parts of the city were underwater, literally up to the rooftops. We heard the harrowing stories that began to unfold of how people had moved from a first floor to a second floor to escape those toxic waters. Then, as the second floor filled with water, how they moved to their last point of refuge-the roof. And many were stranded there, no food, no water, and increasingly no hope. Then hope showed up in the shape of a Coast Guard helicopter, hovering over their rooftop refuge. Hope was a man coming down a cable to where they were; a man who secured their rescue and saved their lives. 

Thursday, July 12, 2018

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When I was a kid, "Nautilus" was Captain Nemo's submarine in a Jules Verne novel. I knew that because (No, I didn't read it.) Walt Disney put it on TV. Then "Nautilus" became the name of an early nuclear submarine launched by the United States. But not too long ago I saw a nautilus while we were at Ocean City, New Jersey. It wasn't a submarine. It was the original nautilus; the little sea creature with the fascinating shell. We actually saw a lot of nautilus shells in little shops. We bought one for our living room. It's real smooth on the outside, got stripes on it, and it's bigger than my hand. Now, to me, the nautilus shell is shaped sort of like a big, shiny human ear, and maybe we could say it's like an unborn child in the womb, if you can picture that. The original inhabitant is gone, of course, but his fascinating shell-house remains. When you cut a nautilus shell in half, it reveals the life story of the one-time inhabitant. At the center is this circular chamber with a wall around it. That was the original home of a little bitty nautilus. There are circular chambers all the way to the outer edge of the shell, and each chamber is a little larger than the previous one. That little sea creature kept outgrowing his shell, so he left it behind and moved on to the next chamber-and chapter-of his life. 

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

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All eyes were on the mountain-the volcano nearby. Our friends' daughter, a missionary, was living in a city that sits in the middle of several volcanoes. And one of them was showing some of those Mt. St. Helen's-type symptoms: the bulging and the boiling that suggests a possible eruption in the near future. Scientists were predicting that could very well happen. So living anywhere near that boiling mountain was, to say the least, like nerve-wracking. 

Friday, July 6, 2018

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It's a very impressive bridge. We saw it as we traveled near the Ohio River years ago. As you looked at it from the city where we were staying, it appeared to be complete. But when you went a few blocks and you looked at it from downriver, some additional information became apparent-in fact, important information. The bridge was only partly completed. It would get you part way there, and then it would drop you in the river. 

Monday, July 2, 2018

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When my granddaughter was three years old she had big eyes, a big smile, and a backpack to match. She'd loaded her little red backpack with every book that she could jam in there. And being a firstborn, she must of course, carry it all by herself-which she was trying to do one day when it became clear to Daddy that she was really straining with that load. He saw again how determined she can be. (Determined actually is a grandparent's word. Parents call it stubborn.) He suggested she remove a few books and lighten the load, and that idea was a total non-starter. Then she tried taking another step. That's when she started to take off her backpack, and she said with a sigh, "Here, Daddy. I can't carry it anymore." Her Daddy gladly took it and he asked, "How's that, honey?" Her answer melted her father's heart, "All better, Daddy. All better." 

Friday, June 29, 2018

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Usually, the only way we know a musical artist we like is through listening to their CD or maybe watching their music video. We've come a long way from Grandma's old 78 RPM records. In fact, someone's listening and saying, "What's a record?" But there's something much better than either the audio or video recording of a great musician. It's called going to their concert where you can actually see them and hear them live in person. There's nothing like the live concert. 

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

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It used to be a lot simpler, you know, helping your kids with their homework. First of all, most of us have forgotten more than we remember from school anyway. Second of all, they're studying things we probably have no clue about! And they're learning things a lot sooner than we did. So here comes Junior, looking for answers. You can't just tell him you don't know. I mean, you're a parent! You're supposed to know everything, right? So you find some diversion: you have a sudden coughing seizure, a call you forgot to make. You don't need to know all the answers. All you need is to be able to Google things. You may not have the answers, but you have the source of the answers! 

Friday, June 22, 2018

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They call it "The Welcome Home You Never Had." It's a special week they have done in the past at Branson, Missouri, designed to honor all those who served during the Vietnam War. There were shows featuring some of the music stars of the '60s and '70s along with special appreciation events. Years after that war, I mean, I know there's still a lot of debate about it. But what there's not much debate about is that America's soldiers went there, risked their lives and sometimes laid down their lives. But because of how that war tore our nation apart at the time, these men and women fought the battles, but unlike the returning soldiers from America's other wars, their courage and sacrifice had been largely uncelebrated and unappreciated. Until someone decided it was time for the "welcome home you never had."

Friday, June 15, 2018

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It was Father's Day, and my friend Dave and I were making the most of it. Our families were spending the day together and Dave and I knew what our job was on Father's Day-loafing and making sure everyone understood our needs. And sometimes someone even paid attention to us for a second. Well, all of us were sitting at the picnic table in the yard and I was explaining what the day's activities were going to be and why Dave and I were the ones making the plans. I said, "It's Father's Day." To which his son mumbled this interesting comment, "At our house, every day is Father's Day." Yeah! Well, you know what? That got me thinking.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

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It was a race against time. That last ferry boat to the island where we had a hotel reservation left at 8:30. We did everything the speed limit would allow. When we stopped for gas, we did one of my infamous Hutchcraft drills where you fill the car, empty yourself, and grab a meal in just minutes. All that's missing is the stopwatch. Yep! We roared into town and up to the dock at 8:40. We got there too late. We missed the boat...the last boat.

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