Monthly Archives: August 2012

The Shoehorn

As of June 25th of this year, my wife and I have been married for twenty-nine years. After that length of time together, you’d not think there would be many surprises left in our relationship. We should know one another … Continue reading

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Eridani

An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet that exists beyond our own solar system, orbiting a distant star other than our sun. So far, more than 800 planets have been located and confirmed by means of the wobble they … Continue reading

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Adaptability

My grandparents were born before the twentieth century began. They witnessed incredible changes during their lifetimes. The electric light bulb was a new invention, as was the automobile. Indoor plumbing was still a rare luxury. Balloons and dirigibles existed, but … Continue reading

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A Preference for Lies

One of the more discouraging things I’ve noticed is the general lack of interest in the truth. This preference to run screaming from the truth, fingers in ears, yelling “la-la-la” afflicts a sizeable percentage of the people we come in … Continue reading

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Bureaucracy

People almost always behave with the best of intentions. We create rules and regulations and procedures because we want to help make things right. We create systems and put people in administrative positions, because there are important things that need … Continue reading

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Space Today

With the death of Neal Armstrong on Saturday, August 25, 2012, some may look back at his monumental feat, and then turn to the present and think that the human race has lost its way space. Not quite. In June, … Continue reading

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English Comp

Once in a while I’m called upon to teach a course in English composition at our small seminary. It’s one thing to do something, another thing to try to tell people how to do it. It reminded me a bit … Continue reading

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Syriac

One of the languages I have taught is called Syriac, an obscure dialect of Aramaic. Syriac is a Semitic language, related to both Hebrew and Arabic in the same way that German is related to English. An English speaker will … Continue reading

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1683

Today we remember September 11 for what happened in 2001. But it is a memorable day for another event as well: a major turning point of history. Had things on September 11, 1683 gone otherwise, the world would be a … Continue reading

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When the Walls Came Down

In 1979, the year I graduated from college, Georgi Vins was expelled from the Soviet Union. Georgi Vins was a Russian Baptist pastor persecuted for his involvement with a network of Baptist Churches in the Soviet Union. His father, Peter … Continue reading

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