Don’t…move…a muscle!
John Erickson spoke calmly while forcing air out of the syringe. The closer he drew, the more frantic the N’zao woman became. Beads of sweat grew on her brown forehead as she clutched the armrests of the yellowing, vinyl dentist chair. Long needles will do that to the best of us. I tried to act confident, but inside I was wincing. I was excited to put my medical training to use, but I don’t do well watching people in pain. Her teeth looked like broken beer bottles jutting from her gums. The odor was worse. I can’t imagine the agonizing...
read moreThe Old Gutted Out Radio
I love to look at the old console radio sitting in my living room: waterfall front, deco-styling, birdseye maple veneer, and a wooden speaker grill that opens in the front. But, the radio isn’t a collector’s item with factory-original parts. Behind that grill is empty space. No original components inside. See, I don’t listen to traditional radio much. Usually, I’m rockin’ Pandora, Rhapsody, and Spotify. I stream my music straight from my phone, laptop, or tablet into powered computer speakers. It’s all technology and no...
read moreNerf World: Why I Kicked Myself in the Jewels
My son, Isaac, left his new plasma globe in a walkway while he and his four-year-old brother, Asher, were wrestling. I gave him a brief, fatherly chat on strategies for protecting his beloved lightning ball. He shrugged. “Dude, it wouldn’t take much to crack that thing open,” I explained. “It’s just made of thin glass.” “No it’s not, Dad.” He knocked on it. “It’s plastic. It’s not fragile.” Asher broke in to end the debate. He calmly walked to his brother’s globe and firmly tapped on it with his small...
read moreIt’s…Alive! The Dangers of Dissecting Art
Beethoven’s 5th was crudely charted out on the classroom whiteboard. “Mary Had A Little Lamb” was beside it, and “Pachelbel’s Canon in D” was on the side wall. With samurai fluidity, the Music Theory I professor unsheathed a red pen and slashed at the well-known works, revealing profound commonalities between dissimilar songs. It was impressive. Her understanding of musical patterns was faultless. She peeled back the curtain on the songs’ inner workings as young students frantically took notes. It was so effective...
read moreYou Deserve A Better Mosquito Swatter
Louis and I drove under a Subway sign that read, “You deserve a healthy sandwich.” “I don’t know about that,” I said. “Man, I deserve hell. I’m getting heaven though! A healthy sandwich would be nice, I guess.” I know it’s just a sign, but I’m the kind of nut who thinks about advertising strategies. I’ve seen this line a lot lately. My skin deserves this cream, my kids deserve that food, I deserve a break, and so on. The “I deserve” message is subtle and soul-sucking. It’s like a mosquito that injects...
read moreVideo Featuring the Hope Tree album!
Have you ever wished that the news, or even friends, would occasionally tell you about what’s going right in the world? Dave Ronning and Nathan Slover are doing just that with their Community Connection Video Series. I am so honored that they made a video about the music and vision behind the Hope Tree album. I can’t thank them enough. I look forward to anything they publish and appreciate how they tell stories of hope in a generous and excellent way. Use the link above to get their updates. You definitely won’t...
read more6 Ways to Join the Great Galactic Easter Egg Hunt
A fourth grader and a bb gun in the wild. Good times. While living near Durango, Colorado, I spent the better part of my days exploring forty-two acres along the banks of the Animas River. Our land was on Ute territory and I developed an eye for slightly mounded areas of loose dirt, indicating native landfills. Combing beneath the surface, I found old pottery shards, arrowheads, and hand-woven textiles smelling of sagebrush root. My boy brain was saturated with fantasies of finding buried treasure. In time, however, I grew disappointed...
read morePharaoh’s Warning
I went to the King Tut exhibit at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center recently. I had the pleasure of joining my wife and daughter along with a good-sized group of students from Ellensburg Christian School. I was assigned to the two most energetic boys in the upper grades–a worthy challenge. As we stood outside the large metal doors, I envisioned the exotic, glimmering works of art waiting in the next room. As an Indiana Jones/National Treasure fan, I was stoked. The hall opened to an iconic cobra-hooded, blank-staring statue...
read moreJudah Wants All Family Dance
My Friend, Damian Smith, sent me this video of his son as evidence that AFD has infected his household.
read moreThe Arrogant Flower, part 2
Years ago I was hiking along a ridge. I came over a steep section and was surprised by a green field covered with purple crocuses in early spring bloom. They were closed tightly and huddled together since the sun had not yet reached them. On the way down the mountainside it was a different scene; they had unfurled like tiny sailboats full of sunlight, revealing their bright yellow markings. They were awesome. I got close to the ground so I could focus on one of them. The more I saw the more I marveled at the incredible craftsmanship...
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