My Grandfather named things. He named his cows. He named his tractors. He even gave my Grandmother a nickname. She had a perfectly good name when he met her. It was a beautiful, appropriate, honorable name that fit her perfectly. Her name is Grace but grandpa always called her Tiny. My Dad acquired the habit […]
Don’t Trifle
I was just finishing some yard work when I saw a Hispanic man drive up in a pick-up truck. A young man was with him, later I found out it was his son. I smiled and waved, he smiled a waved back. They unloaded some equipment and went to work. I finished packing my things […]
Young Love
Ralph and Maxine had been married nearly fifty years. I was their pastor. One day I heard Ralph was in the hospital. I drove to town and made my way to his room. He was having a tussle with an ugly strain of the flu. It looked miserable, but it didn’t look serious. I kept […]
The Roach Coach and the Radio
I don’t want to shock any of you but in a shadowy season of my past I drove what they called a “Roach Coach.” It was actually a squeaky-clean, brand-new catering truck outfitted to service factory workers. I would drive up to a factory at break time. Someone would shout out “Roach Coach” and workers […]
Advice from an “Older” Pastor
Clay Nuttal has been a pastor for fifty years. In my in-box today was this little nugget I am trying to take to heart when I preach. What are your thoughts? The cardinal sin of preaching is making any reference to time. You want the listener to be thinking about message content, not the clock. […]
High Noon
Years ago something happened that angered me. I’m really not easily angered though my story will make it seem so. This petty offense just touched a very sensitive nerve. The offense was repeated four or five times. It was during a time when I was already enduring more than my fair share of criticism. I […]