Opinion

We’re in the middle of birthday season. Not my birthday season… that’s in January. But in our family, we have more than 10 people with birthdays in August and September.

The young teacher stood in the empty hallway and listened carefully. You could hear a pin drop. There was no sound except perhaps an occasional printer or a phone going off.

Editorial cartoon

Next month, it will be 12 years since my dad died. I miss him every day, but enough time has passed that I remember him with a smile. I even laugh at some of the memories. He was a great dad.

In her will, Helen left her home, which carries a mortgage, to her unmarried daughter, Martha, who is an elementary school teacher. Her other two daughters are married, have homes of their own and significantly higher net worths than Martha’s.

Mark 1:28 tells us, “And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region about Galilee.” Mark wants us to know Jesus was famous — I like that.

I recently had lunch with a dear friend who I hadn’t seen in a while. As we caught up on all the tidbits that make up our lives, she asked if I was still writing this article each week. In the course of that conversation, I realized I’ve been writing this column for… wait for it… 17 years. As in, almost two decades. And the realization both thrilled and depressed me.

Editorial cartoon

I taught on the Parable of the Sower on Sunday (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). Not only do we find the unbelieving world hard hearted, superficial and worldly but sometimes we have to raise our hands and say, “Me too.”

The young teacher stood in the empty hallway and listened carefully. You could hear a pin drop. There was no sound except perhaps an occasional printer or a phone going off.