Three years ago,I learned that humans all have expiration dates and only God knows when we will expire. Three years ago, the day before Valentine’s Day, I experienced a mass shooting at Michigan State University (MSU) that forced me to appreciate the fragility of life, the human-condition of ...
Love can raise us higher than we ever imagined. It can sneak in and give us a warm hug at just the right moment. Whether it’s love of a partner, family member, or friend, the deep emotional attachment that accompanies love fills us up and holds us together. But love can also plunge us ...
There's a 36-year-old song that talks about the value of hard work. "I gotta get out of bed and get a hammer and a nail," the chorus goes, "Learn how to use my hands, not just my head. I think myself into jail. Now, I know a refuge never grows from a chin in a hand in a thoughtful pose. Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose." I've been thinking a lot about farming lately, which is weird because the last time I tried to do any gardening, I pulled a random muscle in my back and limped for a week. But work, real work, goes back in my family for generations. My grandmother was a ...
Let's hear a word of praise for the ordinary citizens who have called for an end to the too-often reckless invasions of American cities by federal agents carrying out President Trump's crusade against undocumented immigrants. I am moved by the courage and patriotism of those who have come out on the streets, sometimes in awesome numbers, to demand investigations into and accountability for recent allegations of misconduct by officers of the Department of Homeland Security in Minneapolis, Chicago and elsewhere. These events were spotlighted last week in hearings in the House Judiciary ...
In one of my group texts with friends from church recently, an interesting commentary from The Hill's John Mac Ghlionn was shared. He asserts that "America is merely witnessing a Christian reboot, not a Christian revival." Mac Ghlionn's analysis stems from his examination of cultural leanings and how Christianity is often presented in the mainstream as a celebrity-driven identity fad. Authentic Christianity, he argues, has been "detached from its roots and repackaged for mass consumption." Mac Ghlionn also notes that church attendance has been on the decline even before the COVID-19 ...
Dear Jim: I need to replace my old dishwasher that has few cycles and doesn't clean well. What are the best features to look for in a new efficient dishwasher? - Sara J. Dear Sara: Even the lowest-cost modern dishwashers today are much more efficient, effective and quiet than your old one. By selecting one with the proper features for your specific needs can yield significant savings. As with most appliances, if you do not want to do much research on a product, just select one which meets EnergyStar standards (www.energystar.gov) and it will be reasonably efficient. With only a few ...
