Once while on a mission trip to San Salvador my group was especially excited about a Thursday afternoon ministry opportunity. We would be visiting a children’s hospital. Since many of the teenage students in my group loved children, they planned extensive activities and assembled many gifts to hand out such as: treats, stuffed animals, dressing… Read More »

My Name Is Old Glory I am the flag of the United States of America. My name is old glory. I fly at top of the world’s tallest buildings. I stand watching America’s halls of justice. I fly majestically over great institutions of learning. I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.… Read More »

Every three years in youth ministry I would take students on a week long summer trip entitled ENGAGE. ENGAGE would have morning and evening worship services, small groups, service projects and fun excursions and adventures. It was quite a big deal and our youth staff team put a lot of work into it. We really… Read More »

Recently, our dog, Penny, was happily chewing on a rawhide type of bone the size of a rolling pin. She was lying just at my feet, crunching away without a care in the world. I don’t know what gave me the idea to pick on her a bit… it was probably because Lauri wasn’t in… Read More »

Monday was an active day at the McKnight Family Homestead… it was power washing day! I went full ninja on all of those power washing projects. I power washed all the outdoor furniture — we are talking like 15 chairs plus tables and decorations. I hosed the patio… washed the retaining wall, the shop building,… Read More »

Disappointment. Who needs it? No one likes to be disappointed. Disappointment often happens when a hopeful expectation isn’t realized. There was the time when I coached a hopeful state qualifying volleyball team with a 22-2 record only to lose in the district finals for a third time to the very same team. They went on… Read More »

There is a scene in C.S. Lewis’ book The Great Divorce that is quite compelling and thought provoking. The Great Divorce is a novel about a man who takes an offered train ride from Hell (the Grey Town) to the outskirts of Heaven. The train departs at regular intervals and anyone can board and travel… Read More »

Do you know what the longest 15 minutes of my life is? It’s standing in row 30 on an airplane while waiting for everyone in front of me to exit the aircraft. Longest 15 minutes of my life! One at a time people unbuckle their seatbelts… then climb slowly to their feet gathering their phone,… Read More »

Last week I traveled to New Mexico to perform a wedding for a family that has meant much to Lauri and I. Since my daughter and her husband were also invited, the four of us decided to travel a few days early and do a little sightseeing. None of us had ever been to New… Read More »

Farmer Jones sensed trouble on the trellis. His grape givers groaned. Leaves drooped. Vines dragged. Listless loganberries sighed in chorus. The farmer listened for a time and decided to do what grape growers have done since the beginning of the writing of this chapter. He talked to his crop. A boss-to-branch chat was in order.… Read More »