One of our Sunday school teachers at church shared this event that took place in her classroom just a few days ago. After meandering conversation, Boy 1: “Hey, did you know in some schools if you get in trouble you can get a spanking by the principal.” Girl 1 replies, “Yes, my mom says when she was in school they called it licks.” Boy 2, with utterly horrified expression asks, “You mean you went to the principal’s office and HE…
The complexities of loyalty… There are many! Loyalty in a relationship is a priceless attribute. I have known that for a long time. But such an important relational pillar can become very involved and thorny. When it comes to loyalty, my mouth can get me in trouble in a New York minute. I am very intolerant of people that insult or demean those closest to me. Such intolerance is generally verbalized in a rather direct manner. I am quick to…
Look at all of the lonely people. Do you recall that song from 1966 that the Beatles recorded? The title is actually Eleanor Rigby. It was written by Paul McCartney. Here is a portion of the lyrics:Eleanor Rigby Ah, look at all the lonely peopleEleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has beenLives in a dream, Waits at the window wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the doorWho is it for?All…
My sister’s children are adults now, but they still affectionately refer to me as “Uncle Buck.” There was always great excitement in the air when it was announced at Kim and Rocky’s home in Lubbock that Uncle Buck was coming to see them. I was of course always impersonating some unsuspecting member of our extended family, or just generally harassing my niece and nephew. In the back of my mind however, there were more serious thoughts to be entertained. Kim and…
Professional golfer Phil Micklelson is a fan of Five Guys Burgers. In fact Lefty was quoted as saying: “That place is so good. I can’t stop going there.” I am quite sure that Five Guys is a great place to eat a burger, but it is obvious that Phil has never eaten at Grumps in Granbury or Stephenville. Grumps features the best burger in the state of Texas, as far as I am concerned. One of the signs on the…
I can’t believe it has been over 25 years. In the spring of 1985, we packed up our meager belongings and moved to Abilene, TX. Neither one of us had jobs. We had been married less than a year. We unloaded our rental truck over the weekend and went to turn it in first thing Monday morning at Anthony’s Fina and Wrecker Service. Little did we know that an important chapter in our married life was about to opened. The…
As I prepare my thoughts for baccalaureate this week, I can’t help but think of my own senior year in high school. And that of course triggers thoughts of our upcoming reunion in July. Thirty years have gone under the bridge. It does not seem possible. I am going to sign up to attend the festivities, but not without reservation. Several images continue to flash across the screen of my conscious thoughts. I just know that I will be the…
It is not uncommon for a four year old to have an imaginary friend. In fact, children have been known to have quite an array for imaginary comrades. I even think development specialists would say that an active imagination is a sign of superior intelligence. At least that sounds awful good… Several years ago my youngest son said: My dad is 45 years old and he still has imaginary friends. How disturbing is that? I am sure it must have…
I had never been out with a college coed, but that was about to change. It was September of 1980. I was a freshman at Texas Tech. There was a girl in my biology class that I was determined to get to know better. The first Tech home game was on the horizon. I could hear my fifth grade teacher’s voice ringing in my head. I could hear her fist pounding on the chalkboard. Opportunity only knocks once! I asked…
I don’t normally insert excerpts from sermons on my blog. I don’t view this forum as a place to do a dry run on a sermon idea, nor is it a place for instant replay from the previous Sunday! But I had an experience last night that caused me to make one notable exception today. Here is a brief selection from a sermon I delivered in Granbury on May 3rd of last year. Do you remember growing up and being…