The Christmas Rules

I am guilty of measuring Christmas by the loot under the tree. As a child, I was interested in those things that bore my name beside the To: on the sticker, and in parenthood I have likened myself to greatness with a few gifts that bore my name beside the From: space. You cannot help [...]

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A Wal-Mart Christmas?

I didn’t mean to sound callous, but intentions are a weak defense.
During last year’s Christmas stand-off between Christian organizations and the retail stores trying to distance themselves from purely Christian language during the holidays, a friend mentioned something about the Wal-Mart gag-order. Without much thought, I said, “What’s Wal-Mart got to do with Christmas?” And [...]

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Hope for the faithless?

Since sleeping is not my strong suit, I am used to the late-hour television promises.
Infomercials are mostly ridiculous, but they have figured out that we are more likely to stop and watch if we find overweight people now skinny and poor people now wealthy. What with the before and after pictures it is hard to avoid the possibility that [...]

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Finding direction through the Golden Compass

It’s been my habit to face the giants opposed to faith, and so it was not a stretch for the boys and I to head off to the next atheist blockbuster movie, The Golden Compass.
My oldest wanted to see to see it because Christian groups were hounding it with internet criticism. Ah, to be seventeen again. They enjoyed the movie, but [...]

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847 miles in one day!

It was a long-overdue visit to see my doctoral project committee that prompted my drive to Birmingham, Alabama, yesterday. I was the prodigal son going home.
I am way behind in my proposal approval–three proposal submissions came back with questions. Now  fully a year behind on my timeline, I honestly needed to sit down and hammer out an answer. [...]

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