Morrisons Cove Herald - Putting cows on the front page since 1885.

The words that you are now reading were written on Thanksgiving Eve. That date is not nearly as significant as Dec. 24. However, it is still a good time to reflect and come up with an angle for my column. We should be grateful every day. I am...

It occurred to me a few days ago that in less than two months I will turn 61. Turning 60 wasn’t a big deal, but 61 will put me in my early 60s! Hopefully when the time comes, I’ll handle it well. I know some of my readers are well over that age....

Like most Christans, I am glad to see Halloween is over. We recognize it as a dark and troubling day on the calendar. There is no denying how popular it has become. Not only are candy sales huge but so are the morbid house decorations and graphic...

The time has come to end the long series on the Gospel of John which I embarked on many months ago. For me it has been a good reminder of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. I recently came to better understand that the gospel isn’t just the good...

There was a play written about 500 years ago where the phrase was coined “bad news travels fast.” Indeed, there does seem to be an obsession with sharing news that is bad in a quick fashion. And there is no doubt that most of what we hear in the...

This week I experienced something somewhat unusual. I met a family in the home of their mother who was dying. The woman’s husband, children and many others had recently been told that she was near death. They were trying to come to terms with it...

As my long series from the gospel of John winds down we find ourselves reading about the crucifixion and thinking about what it means to us. While this is something that people often equate with the Easter season, any good Christian knows that the...

I do not have to tell my readers that life does not always go as planned. There are disappointments and times where we must adjust to changes and challenges. Today I thought I would take my laptop and Bible on my back deck to write this column. I...

Every person has faced moments when they had to stop and ask an important question. “Now what?” Some people are reactionary, and others think things through for a while. There are empathetic folks and those who seem to not care as much....

It is not unusual for me to ask hospice patients what their favorite hymn is. For the reply to be In the Garden is not at all unusual. That old song looks ahead with joy at the thought of abiding with Jesus in heaven forever. For that to happen,...

The words below reflect the conclusion to a three-part look at the prayer of Jesus in John 17. We can learn a lot about people from the way in which they pray. My mom was a person of prayer and loved the Lord very much. Sadly, she was not one to...

That Jesus had people on his mind as he prayed just before his arrest is not surprising. This prayer in John 17 is sometimes called the high priestly prayer. Jesus is our great high priest which in basic terms means he is the one that represents us...

This week I meet a man who did not think he wanted me to visit him. He had just been admitted to our hospice services at a fairly young age. His life included financial struggles, a divorce, addictions, and being estranged from his only son. He had...

About 90 minutes before beginning to write this column I saw an awesome site (besides my wife). She looked out our back doors and reacted in such a way that I hurried to join her. About 25 feet away, we saw a fairly large black bear, just beyond our...

Much time was spent on John 15 in my series but now I am ready to move on to chapter 16. Moving on is something I help people prepare for and do as a hospice chaplain. Family members know that their loved one will be leaving them soon and that they...

It is sometimes surprising to hear Christians bemoan the fact that the world is not friendly toward churches, the Bible, and people of faith. We sometimes feel entitled to be respected and to have a voice as we seek to represent God in the world. We...

In my previous column I wrote about my college roommate and the impact that John 15 had on him as he wrote a long paper on it. It occurred to me that he might like to read what I had written. I was able to track down what I hoped was a current email...

During my four years at a Christian college, I was blessed with several good roommates. My first was one that I had served on a ministry team with a year earlier. Some of the guys in the hall were not fans of his, but we got along well. In my junior...

As I resume my series in the gospel of John, my mind goes back to the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was a turbulent time. Of course, we would be hard-pressed to think of an era since then that has not had its challenges. One thing I remember about...

As someone who has done his fair share of writing over the years, I recognize that words have meanings. The other night my wife and I were talking, and I said something strange because I was thinking from an unusual perspective. I pointed out to her...

It is probable that in my line of work I have more opportunities to interact with and meet people than the average follower of Jesus. In recent weeks I can think of several folks I have met who know and love the Lord, although they are of a...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Whether this will be the most wonderful column of the year remains to be seen. As long as I do not get coal in my stocking from the editor, I will be satisfied. I started with that sentence because it is...

For most of my life I have waited until after Thanksgiving to start to listen to Christmas music. But since last year I have broken my unwritten rule. Once November hits, I am ready and willing to hear the music of the season, whether silly,...

I just read that some places in Ukraine may be without heat and power for a very long time as winter approaches. Imagine shorter, colder days with no electricity. We take for granted the comforts of home like running water and lights that turn on at...

Every person has emotional ups and downs. We have our good days and bad. Sometimes what is happening in the world around us can impact our feelings. One moment we can be doing and feeling well and then suddenly our mood and thoughts change for the...

The most difficult thing to hear in that news is that someone has been killed by another person. Most obituaries reflect people who died naturally, whether from old age or disease. But when someone takes the life of another it is a terrible thing ind...

This week I have had several patients surprisingly pass from this earthly life. No one should be too surprised when a hospice patient dies. However, in the case of these ladies I had recently visited them and they were talking and feeling pretty...

Recently I spoke with two dear relatives about my columns. One complimented me on my most recent one. I asked her what it was about. She paused. I thought. She could not recall the contents of the article. That made two of us. The other relative...

I am grateful to have safely returned from a really nice family vacation. Everyone got along well, were able to relax, have fun, and see some beautiful sights. We even went to a Thai restaurant for the first time. There were several experiences...

Recently my wife and I attended college orientation with my youngest son. Next month, we will have two sons attending school full time. As I observed the campus and how young the incoming freshmen looked, I could not help but make a few...

‘Twas just days before Christmas and this columnist thought, “Will I be able to write creatively for the big day or not?” He went to his keyboard with a slipper on each foot, glad to not have to go down a chimney with soot. Would he write...