In order to ward off boredom on a solo trip from Kansas City to Denver, I jotted sights that caught my eye on the steering wheel. At my destination, I turned my scribbles into a poem. I don't recommend writing on the steering wheel--but in Kansas there's not much else going on.
KANSAS CITY TO DENVER RUN
My Grand AM and I
off on early grey dawn journey
to a writers conference
through short rolling velvet fields
shrouded in puffs of fog
on I-70.
Topeka gas station,
fill Betsy's tan ...continued...
Sunday, April 18, 2010 to Friday, November 18, 2011
As I go about my occupation as a corporate chaplain, I hear the heart of people. So many folks seem discouraged. When they have a need, Jesus seems the last place to turn. Others seem to have no concept of the Living God who intervenes in situations when invited in.
While I prayed about how to be an encouragement, I remembered how God had met me many times in the past. I made a list and came up with about twenty stories. Each week I'd write one and take it to my critique group to get their input and feedback. Before long, I had twenty-seven stories--enough for a small book.
Dan ...continued...
Sunday, May 18, 1997 to Thursday, September 18, 1997
THE MAGNIFICIENT MENTOR
The notice in the church bulletin read, “Anyone interested in writing, meet in room 312 on Tuesday night. Bring some writing to share.”
My heart skipped a beat. I had prayed about how I might start to write about the experience our family had been through with our daughter and her spinal cord tumor. And now, here was an answer.
I had written poetry f ...continued...
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 to Saturday, October 25, 2014
This is taken from my first devotional book, Daily Walk with Jesus available on Amazon.com.
Jesus’ Return
Galatians 1:4 “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father.”
As the day of Jesus’ appearing in the sky draws nearer, we see a more definable difference in those who truly have Jesus as their Lord, and those who don’t.
For those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus, there is special protection in this scripture even in calamity and a promise of delive ...continued...
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 to Saturday, October 25, 2014
Recently I spent the day with one of my granddaughters. She’ll be a senior in high school next year. We spoke of many things, but one stands out in my memory. She told me of accompanying a friend to a Planned Parenthood facility. Her friend’s mother instructed her to go there to get a pregnancy test. I’ll let you hear the conversation we had.
“Mandy’s * mother was out of town so Mandy asked me to go with her.”
“Why didn’t she get a pregnancy test at the drugstore?”
My granddaughter shrugged. “Her mom wanted her to make sure t ...continued...
Friday, October 31, 2014 to Monday, November 10, 2014
Introduction
I set about to clean out Mother’s house. In the spare bedroom, I opened the antique cabinet and drew out a stack of memorabilia. Halfway down the pile of old newspapers, I discovered a speckled brown ledger book with ragged edges. It crackled as I opened the yellowed pages. Each line contained a date and a comment on life in the 1880's. It was my great-grandfather Sanford’s diary.
The more I read, the more I wanted to share Sanford’s story, rather than bury it in some safe place for another 119 years.
The basic story line is true and the hi ...continued...
Our cooking today is so much different from days gone by. When my granddaughter was three, she stood in front on my oven door where a whole chicken baked in a glass pan. With wide eyes she said, "Is that a chicken?"
You see, her mother only bought chicken parts. She'd never seen a whole chicken. How different from when I was a child. Below is a recollection when I visited Grandma at about age five. I've included it in my cookbook Family Favorites from the Heartland.
Fried Chicken-Grandma’s Style
During the late 40s and e ...continued...
