God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise

God willing and the creek don’t rise is a saying I remember from my childhood. However, most of the folks in my family replaced “God” with “The Good Lord.”

After hearing them blurt out this saying, I often asked my relatives what they meant. Most were so shocked that a child had listened to what they said an answer was not forthcoming. Others mumbled something about having a plan to do something but knowing that their plan could be interrupted by fate.

Study Uncovers Key to Preventing Back Pain in Runners

A new study examines what may cause chronic back pain in runners and the exercises to help prevent it. The study, published in the Journal of Biomechanics, suggests that runners with weak deep core muscles are at higher risk of developing low back pain. And, unfortunately, most people’s deep core muscles aren’t nearly as strong as they should be.

Box Elder Whistle

Lefty Frizzell sang a song about Saginaw, Michigan. He sang about the fancy houses the lumber barons of yesteryear built on Mansion Row. We didn't live in that part of town. We lived on the west side. Our house was the only one on a block in a working class neighborhood that never really took off. There was only one tree.

The tree wasn't a stately oak or a majestic elm. It was a young box elder tree growing near the driveway out near the street. No one planted it there. It just grew. That was a set up for trouble.

Boiled Eggs in Church But Not at Homecoming

Don’t you love getting tickled in church? The worst times are those during an actual service when it would be most inappropriate to laugh; also, these are the times incidents seem funnier than they might otherwise.

But sometimes we get lucky and funny things happen in church when we can laugh and not be inappropriate. I hadn’t been driving long, and I still had my first car. It was a 1967 Chevrolet Impala that I inherited from my father. The car rode low on its springs, so roads with unexpected dips could be challenging. The car also seemed as long as a small bus, and I tried in those early days of driving to park it where it would be easiest to pull out for the ride home. My choice parking space at that time was at the edge of the parsonage driveway, directly under a cedar tree.

Why We Love the Mountains

Mountains seem to be a universal attraction to people no matter where they come from. To we who were born and raised in them, they are especially endearing because they were the constant backdrop of our lives: their beauty, their challenges, and their molding of the culture of our ancestors that was passed on to us. Mountains are special, but what is it about them that everybody falls in love with? This will sound over-simplistic, but the answer is their 3-dimensional terrain. Let me explain.

Woolworth's Lunch Counter

Wow! Look at those prices: Lime Ade, 5 cents; Sliced Ham Sandwich, 10 cents. I can't read the rest of the prices, but they were in line with what I could see. Look at those stools? You don't see any like them anymore. There were fountain cokes, homemade pies and cakes, and glazed doughnuts. I know about the doughnuts. I made them.

Four Bean Salad

This recipe has been around a long time. I have taken it to church potlucks a time or two. It's a recipe you can make ahead, when you have a little extra time in an evening before bedtime. When you work full time, planning is important to get everything done.

With a husband and four children to tend to, extra moments were precious. I remember thinking how great it would be to lie down for an afternoon nap with the bedroom door shut. That was a luxury I never had. There was always someone or something that needed tended to on my days off.

A City Set on a Hill, Cannot Be Hid

Introduction: The Bible weaves a tapestry picture of a city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. Just as Jacob(Israel) made his beloved son a coat of many colors (Genesis 37:3), God has made us a coat of many colors in Jesus. These true stories are natural examples, given by God, that we might understand a Spiritual concept. (John 4:24)

FREE Relationship Counseling!

Are you considering getting married in the next year and would like to save $60 on the marriage license?
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