My grown daughter recently noted that she had never lived in a home without a dog. It reminded me that statistics show raising children with pets helps them learn responsibility and kindness. And adults with dogs generally live seven years longer and are less lonely …
At the Movies: Piper & A Child of God
When I went to movies as a child, there was always a short film, a cartoon, or part of a serialized western before the main film. Now movies are longer and are preceded by previews of coming attractions, commercials for what the concession stand …
Other Mothers
It has been a quarter century since my mother-in-law died and yet, in many ways, in seems like last month. Our family still uses her recipes and talks about her caring ways. We laugh about her funny expressions. A recent spring cool spell reminded me …
The Birds of Easter
Years ago in late summer we moved into a house that had been empty almost a year. When I opened the fireplace damper to see if it was operational, four dead birds fell out. That should have warned us that we needed to screen the …
My Bucket List
We used to say, “These are the things I’d like to do before I die.” However, after the movie The Bucket List was released in 2007, our jargon changed. That film prompted many to create their own list for the first time. Although the name …
Help in Times of Trouble
Does God care about our everyday problems? My answer from experience is always a resounding, Yes. In 1993 I was attending Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY. I lived about 30 miles from the seminary, it was a long commute on class days. Anyone who has …
How to Marry a Millionaire – Queen of Sheba
The 1953 romantic comedy How to Marry a Millionaire ushered in Cinemascope’s long narrow screen. It starred Marilyn Monroe (Pola), Lauren Bacall (Schatze), and Betty Grable (Loco) as beautiful young models pooling their resources to share a Manhattan penthouse. This put them in the right …
Review of Stars in the Grass
Mentoring Moments columnist Ann Marie Stewart’s newly released novel, Stars in the Grass, debuted on February 1. The idyllic world of nine-year-old Abby McAndrews is transformed when a tragedy tears her family apart. Before the accident, her dad, Reverend John McAndrews, had all the answers, …
The Miracle Worker and Mary Magdalene
The Miracle Worker, based on Helen Keller’s book The Story of My Life, was released in 1962. Shot in black and white, the strarkness of the film showcases the gravity of the situation. Anne Bancroft plays Annie Sullivan, the woman who taught a blind, deaf …
The Gift of Peace
Christmas isn’t all about gifts but, in our culture, few escape gift giving. While I write lists and shop throughout the year, more talented individuals make what they give. They say it’s a way of giving themselves. I admire those who sew, paint, sculpt, photograph …