“Men don’t cry” For many men, weeping or crying is sissy. How many boys grew up hearing from their dads; “men don’t cry”. The damage from these words is overwhelmingly negative. Do you remember QB Colt McCoy in his postgame interview after he had been injured and could not play the majority of the National Championship? Texas lost to Alabama. Fighting through […]
An invitation What an invitation to an intimate relationship. Here, Jesus is speaking to the churches. In my early thirties I was a religious Christian. I seemed to work very hard at keeping the scales balanced with my good deeds to outweigh my bad deeds. Not a very joyous lifestyle. Through the working of the […]
Injustices The expression, “there is nothing new under the sun”, has been around for a long time. Every time I think or say, “I’ve seen it all now”, I live to find that is simply not true. As Yogi Berra said many times, “It’s déjà vu all over again”, and he is right. Who would question that great […]
Questions I have two questions for you. Seems like an easy enough exam. But each question counts 50% so you can’t miss one and pass. Doesn’t seem fair, but I am making the rules. Our granddaughter, Annie, is taking two final exams Monday and Tuesday this week. She is in nursing school in Arkansas and […]
Words with substance Three little words… but yet so powerful. What three words came to mind when you read the first sentence? And what makes them so full of power? Words are just words, aren’t they; that is until you find what has gone on before they were written or spoken. Many of us have […]
Palm Sunday As I was participating in our online church service today with my wife in our home, I was overwhelmed by a thought. It is Palm Sunday. The Jewish people, Israel, were looking for an earthly king to overthrow their conqueror, the Romans. They were fearful, in bondage and confused. Finally, all the biblical […]
The importance of a name NAMES…can tell so much about a person, thing, even an institution. It’s your identity. Many have names with underlying meaning, even directing their life’s destiny. It sets you apart from someone else. My first and middle name is Billy Cleveland. I was named after my maternal grandfather and the twenty-fourth […]
Endurance GATES…are plentiful in everyday life around the world. We have four in our small yard, mostly for security. Gates come in all sizes and shapes, with numerous uses. As we were traveling in the area of Tennessee where Joanne grew up, we encountered a very old gate with stone pillars (pictured below). They were […]
Playing ball Today I got the opportunity to bring out the one baseball and two baseball gloves that I brought from home. I introduced the sport I love the most to my host family, who had never heard of the sport of baseball before. This was one of those moments in life that I will […]