Columnists

The race marked out for us

If you enjoyed the winter Olympics, I’d like to introduce you to another icy sport that begins this week. I’m a fan of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race that starts on Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska. The "Last Great Race on Earth" unites a diverse community of indigenous villages across a vast region and...

Grawlix is the symbol for swearing

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING My Uncle Luther could hold his breath for 30 minutes. That’s incredible. Not really. He could do it only once. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. The weather was...

Embrace the cross

As a pastor, I have been invited into many homes over the years. In addition to having the opportunity to visit without interruption, the decor of a home often speaks volumes about what favilies value, their family history, and their priorities. One of the most recognizable symbols that instantly...

The benefits of house burping

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING I was walking an Alaskan trail when I met a bear. All I had in my backpack was a can of fly spray, so I sprayed the bear. What happened? The bear flew away. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I...

Keep the fire burning

The fire crackled, burning bright. I could feel the heat from where I was sitting. It was a crisp night—a perfect night for a fire. The family was roasting marshmallows, laughing as they tried to shove the whole s'more into their mouth. Half of the gooey marshmallow stuck to my son's cheek...

Wisdom is heavy

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING I have the memory of an elephant. Really? Yes, I remember seeing an elephant at a fair when I was nine years old. ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING TOO Folklore said if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she...

Trusting God's word during Lent

Lent is just around the corner. Years ago I read an article titled, Five Reasons Not to Observe Lent, written by Aaron Damiani. My first inclination was to scoff at the title - Lent is among my favorite parts of the Church year. As it turns out, the article was not about doing away with the Lent...

Minnesota's 14,444 lakes

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING My sister is a librarian. She hit me with a grammar book. Did you get a concussion? No, but I was in a comma for a week. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. We’d been...

Get wisdom

In the early hours of a very cold Christmas morning in Great Falls, Montana, the police and fire departments were called to a park to rescue a grown man who had gotten himself stuck in a plastic toddler swing. To make things worse, the man was completely naked. The swing and its occupant...

'I'll become a bouillionaire'

ECHOES FROM THE LOAFERS’ CLUB MEETING It’s a great day. What happened? The bulb in my car’s “check engine” light finally burned out. DRIVING BY BRUCE’S DRIVE I have a wonderful neighbor named Bruce. Whenever I pass his drive, thoughts occur to me. Each year, I suffer through an...