Becky was my first serious crush. Serious meaning I thought she was beautiful.

Many of the world's greatest dramas are not on a stage or a screen, but they are played out in that quadrennial spectacle we call the Olympics. One year Britain's representative in the 400-meter race, Derek Redmond, went down in the back stretch with a torn right hamstring. As the medical attendants approached, Redmond fought to his feet and set out hopping, desperately trying to finish the race. He knew he wouldn't win, he was just trying to finish.

I'm the early riser in our family, so it's not uncommon for me to be in the bathroom around 6 a.m.; the only one awake. Now, I have made a science of being quiet in the morning so I don't wake up my wife or anyone else who might be sleeping.

They don't make garbage like they used to. Do you remember the good old days when you could throw away everything when you were done with it? Actually, those were not the good old days, because we were also trashing our environment. We now have the privilege of sorting through what used to be just garbage. Bottles, newspapers, cans, and glass are now called recyclables. It is amazing how garbage can be taken and then recycled into something useful again.

Our family has had the privilege to spend some unforgettable ministry days on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico and Arizona. When you are there, you do a lot of driving because that one reservation is the size of West Virginia. The vehicle of choice there is not a car. No, you want a truck. Many places are only accessible by roads that are steep, bumpy, and full of craters. Driving is a major challenge to the durability of any vehicle - or passenger. You'll hear many radio advertisements using this one phrase to promote the quality of their truck. This macho voice says, "It's reservation tested."

When we are in a hurry, we don't want to see certain signs on the highway such as "Reduce Speed" and "Construction Ahead." Slowing down for big construction areas can be a pain. It's an inconvenience, but things will be so much better when they're finished.

You probably have a picture of yourself that you do not like, either on your driver's license, an ID card, or a passport. There is probably a picture of you that you do like. That picture is the one that shows your good side, your hair is just right, there is good lighting, and you're smiling. There was a lady who really appreciated the ministry of a certain speaker. She asked, "Would you mind if I give you a picture of myself?" He said that would be fine. She signed it and put it in a note, and he didn't look at it until he got to lunch. It was an unusual personal photo; it was a picture of her hands.

The TV show Mission Impossible always had the same formula. The head of the Mission Impossible force would receive a tape with the mission orders on it.

Have you ever tried a soap sandwich? If so, it was probably when you were little after you said some words you weren't supposed to say. It seems logical that your parents would want to clean out your mouth after saying words like that. Right? Well, that is a punishment that does motivate you to not want to say that particular thing again, but there are some words far dirtier than the words that had us eating soap. They are dirty because they deeply hurt many people. Prepare yourself for some dirty words.