NECESSARY BITTERNESS? Many years ago, when I entered military service, I underwent a series of rigorous training and exercises to prepare for my duty assignment. With boot camp, trade school, and formal schooling, I spent almost 2 years of preparation before being deployed to my first duty station.  Despite all that training, when I got […]

NECESSARY BITTERNESS? Denatonium is a chemical compound discovered by accident in 1958.  It has the misfortune of having the bitterest taste of all chemicals.  It is so bitter that, if you were to mix only 10 parts per million in a gallon of milk, it would make even a teaspoon of the milk nearly impossible

WE ARE NOT “SMALL STUFF” On November 9, 1979 America was brought to the brink of nuclear war. It all began when an Airman at NORAD in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, used a training tape to test its communication systems. However, the failure of the Airman to flip a simple switch allowed the simulated “Soviet nuclear

“BIBLE EMERGENCY NUMBERS” John 14:1-3 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a

“PAINFUL DIVERSITY” One of the most bizarre land disputes came to an end on July 31, 2015, when the governments of India and Bangladesh agreed to an exchange of 162 enclaves between themselves.  These enclaves consist of small bits of territory within each other’s borders.  Within India’s borders, for instance, there were over 51 Bangladeshi

“SLEEPING ON A FORTUNE” On the 23rd of August 2016, there was a story all over the news about what is probably the largest pearl ever discovered.  An unidentified fisherman found the pearl inside a giant clam off Palawan Island in the Philippines – a site famous for many other large pearls.  This pearl had

“CHAPLAIN DAVID’S MESSAGES OF TIMELESS TRUTHS” Some people retire from ministry. Others never stop running the race. Chaplain David Losey was the kind who never slowed down. Even into his mid-80s, he served with passion, showing up for chaplain calls, encouraging young people, mentoring others, and pouring out God’s Word with clarity and grace. His

“THE FATE OF OLD OBSERVANCES” Old observances, holidays, and remembrances that are based on historical events tend to die out. It’s inevitable. Just think of V-E Day, AKA Victory in Europe Day (May 8th). Who celebrates it today – I mean, really celebrates it, with kids off from school and the like? Who celebrates V-J

“CONTEMPT FOR GOD’S KINDNESS” When observers first saw this behavior among crocodiles, they thought it was cannibalism.  But it was tender, loving, care: a mother alligator gently carrying its young in its mouth, bearing them from the nest safely to the waters.  The “gentle jaws” behavior of the mother alligator toward her young is common

“TRUST GOD – HE KNOWS BETTER” A surprising article told the story of a cancelled check, dating from July 11, 1949, that was up for auction.  What was significant about this piece of paper?  It was the “sign-up bonus check” written out to the newest member of the New York Yankees – Mickey Mantle.