A big thing in our house right now is the History Channel series America: The Story of Us. Our recent home-schooling experiences have taught us the value of history told in unique and creative ways. We keep recording these programs and getting sucked in by the “I-never-knew-that” factor upon which these types of series seem to [...]

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In 1998, Dr. Spencer Johnson released a book about change and how we respond to it.  The book, Who Moved My Cheese, was an instant success. In 2010, Darlene Abbott discovered that someone had in fact moved her cheese. When she finally found it, she was reminded of the dramatic change that entered her life just [...]

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This is the man who taught me to hunt and to fish. Things are beginning to make sense now.

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Yard sales never cease to amaze me.  People really will buy anything.  And my wife will be happy to sell it to them.  Once, I saw her sell dirt.  Really.  This week, it was a used water bottle festively wrapped with a colorful scarf.  Look, 25 cents is 25 cents.  And somewhere tonight, there is [...]

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Recently, I was with a group of guys who were sharing some of their worst DIY disasters. As I  recounted my own misadventures, I tried hard not to sound too pathetic. But, honestly, getting stranded on one’s roof while seized by fits of acrophobic paralysis doesn’t necessarily get you any holes punched in your man [...]

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Yes I’m still blogging. Right now I’m actually doing it from my iPhone. Guess I really have no excuse now. Stay tuned. Much to say.

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“Dad?” RileyGrace is sitting in the back of our Ford Windstar gazing out the window.   ”Yes, ma’am.”  “How many years is a person when they start to get old?”  I glance at her in the rear view mirror.  Her posture is perfect as she sits atop the last car seat she’ll ever need.  Her head [...]

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There are times in life when the clouds over “Brandon World” part and the light of reality breaks through, even if for a moment.  These are times when, for whatever reason, I am quiet enough, still enough, or weak enough to experience God and His Word.  This is one of those times. To Lead Like Thunder I didn’t know until recently [...]

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Dr. Bellows wore plaid shirts without fail.  I remember this because the shape of his round belly played tragic games with the stripes in the pattern.  The result was something like latitude and longitude markings on a lumpy globe that orbited the room at least twice during each class.  I had decided from the first [...]

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McKenzie (9) :  “Hey RileyGrace, I bet you don’t know the capital of Japan.” RileyGrace (6) : “Yes I do!” McKenzie: “OK, smartie pants.  What is it?” RileyGrace: “J.” For more profound statements from RileyGrace, read this and this.  For those of you who are too embarassed to ask, the capital of Japan is in [...]

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