Friday, July 29, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Teenage boys aren't known primarily for their neatness and organization, as you probably know. When my oldest son was that creature called "a teenage boy," he had one area that defied the messy stereotype. I said just one area, right? It was his baseball card collection.

Oh, everything else may have been in a state of total chaos, but oh not the baseball cards. They were neatly put away in plastic holders, filed in notebooks, categorized. Why? Well, as he said, "Dad, they're only valuable if they're in mint condition. I want to keep these cards in mint condition."

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

This body that you and I move around in is pretty amazing. One of the amazing qualities it has might be called "compensation." In other words, when one part breaks down, it seems as if another part gets stronger in order to help make up the difference.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

We couldn't figure it out. For some reason, the mice suddenly liked our house so much. All I know is after not having had that problem, we suddenly were invaded. Well, I planned very strategically to be gone, of course, when they invaded the house. In fact the reason we know that they were there is because my wife found, well let's just say some signs of them in the silverware drawer of all places.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

My daughter and I hugged a lot when she was little. And when she was a big college student, and even now that she has a family of her own, I'm happy to report we still have what we call "hug alerts." We have always had a demonstrative relationship; have with all the kids actually.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

When World War II began, almost every American's life changed, including my Dad's. He couldn't fight because of a medical problem, and he was working at that time in a plant that had been making some kind of industrial product. And suddenly almost overnight it was converted into a defense plant. They stopped making whatever little things they had been making, and they started to make airplane parts. Well, it was obvious what was happening. It was a war, and that plant had to be used to help win the war. During that time, not that I remember it personally, people made sacrifices of gasoline, and food, and rubber tires, and money. Why? Well, because you know that everything is needed to fight the war. It was then and it still is.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

If you're a sports spectator, it's the least exciting part of the event. If you're a player, it can really make an important difference. It's called a "time out." Now on TV, a time out is a good excuse for a commercial. But some important things are sorted out during time outs. A coach can give you some perspective on what you're doing right or wrong, some suggestions on how to play better, to improve, look at the weaknesses of the other team. You can catch your breath, you can recover, you can regroup. A time out wisely used can actually make a decisive difference in the game...in your game.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

You know, I've been told so many times in my life, "Go take a hike," so I finally did. Well, this particular summer I was at a lovely Christian conference center in California called Forest Home. One day when I wasn't speaking, they had a nature hike. They had a fellow called Father Nature who took us out (you didn't know there was a Father Nature I'll bet) and he showed us the four different kinds of nature zones they had on their property.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

Now, the problem with professional football games is they keep slowing down for huddles and time outs; especially those commercials. I'll tell you when they don't slow down. It's near the end of the game where your team is behind, and with two minutes left, a team often skips the huddle and all the delays, and they just go right from one play to the next. They forget the game plan; there's two minutes left. They go for broke!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

It was the end of World War II, and the city of Berlin was being divided up by the allies. Now, the East Berliners, in what was to become Communist Berlin, drove a dump truck over to the west side to free Berlin. It was filled with garbage, and they just let it all be dumped out and then they drove away. Nice, huh?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Download MP3 (right click to save)

I remember when I was a kid we used to take my dad out to the airport for business trips. And as I'd see him leaving with his briefcase on those old airplanes (well, they weren't old then, but they seem that way now). I thought, "Oh, flying would be glamorous wouldn't it, if you had to go fly a lot." Yeah, well I've learned since, having had to fly a lot of times, and sometimes every month. If you've seen one plane, you've seen them all.