Middletree

I had been looking forward to 2016.  My oldest kids were turning 15 then, and I had been anticipating that this was to be the first presidential election that they would be likely to follow through the party-specific campaigns as well as the general election. But what they witnessed, particularly during the debates, was a train wreck. Yes, Donald Trump was embarrassing, but he wasn't the only one. Other candidates, as well as party leaders and even pundits, expressed their views in the worst possible ways. It was as if Jerry Springer took over. It seemed everyone who had anything to say said it as loudly and divisively as possible. And as I write this a year after the election, issue-driven conversations between office-holders as well as between regular people have only gotten worse. Since the late 80's, when I first became politically aware, discussions about politics have devolved; this is not news to anyone. But the discussions of why the current state of political dis...

Like many Americans, I was a fan of NBC's "This is Us" from the beginning, and I'm one of millions who are looking forward to the onset of the new season tonight. Why do I like this show? Well, I'm not normally a fan of trying to explain why I like something. Ask me why I like mustard and not mayonnaise, or why I like strawberries but not peaches, and I'm going to give you a blank stare.  There is no verbal explanation why I like something. I just do. That said, I find it easy to name the many reasons why this show resonates with me. Sadly, NBC people responsible for marketing this show have missed all my reasons, and are putting a lot of undue focus on one thing: the show will make you cry. See here . And then there's this . Good grief. I have to say: the "grab a box of Kleenex" stuff is a bit of a turnoff. I'm not interested in watching a show because the marketers have convinced me that the scriptwriters can successfully manipul...

A few years ago, I encountered Shawn Smucker 's writing via the late, great Burnside Writers Collective website. In addition to Burnside, his work has been featured as part of several different projects, but " The Day the Angels Fell " is his first novel. It tells the story of 12-year-old friends Sam and Abra, who react to Sam's mother's tragic death by embarking on a quest to bring her back to life by any means necessary. Unbelievably, the means to do so present themselves in short order, and the quest is on. These two friends make deals with angels, figure out a mystery or two, and fight heroically, all while battling grief and fear, and coming to some hard but necessary conclusions about the important role that death plays in our world. This book contains all the elements I love in a work of fiction: (1) an original story that not only holds my interest but grips me; (2) multiple distinct characters with understandable and realistic motivations; (3) just...

Racism has never not been a hot topic of discussion in our nation. Disputes over racial matters have resulted in: 1. A compromise that slaves should count as 3/5 of a person. This was written into our Constitution. Really. I wish I were making this up.   2. A civil war. 3. Decades of post-Civil War mistreatment of non-whites during Reconstruction, to include lynchings, voter suppression, and multiple forms of discrimination, most of which went unprosecuted.  4. Supreme Court rulings, boycotts, sit-ins, Civil Rights marches, formation of various groups to promote the advancement of various races, as well as groups like the KKK. 5. Concerns, lawsuits, and protests about police treatment of nonwhites. 6. Expressions of varying opinions about confederate flags, statues of slave-owning presidents and schools named for former Civil War generals. etc. Some well-meaning Christians offer reasons to take a stand against racism, but do so with a man-...

For those who are not aware, I am very politically conservative. Small government, strong defense, pro-life, etc. I have also been very vocal that I do not think Donald Trump was a wise choice to be president. It's led to a lot of good conversations with my pro-Trump friends and those who are not. One very good friend, who I admire greatly and who has been an excellent example to me in many ways, is a Trump defender and asked me to read the text of Dr Robert Jeffress' inaugural address. Here is my email to my friend.  I read the Robert Jeffress inaugural message you sent me at  http://www.firstdallas.org/ blog/when-god-chooses-a- leader-dr-jeffress- inauguration-day-message  , and I have these thoughts.  1. The Wall Dr. Jeffress points point that God enabled Nehemiah to build a wall to protect His people from their enemies. Although many of Trump's critics have opposed the idea of a wall, I have not commented on this myself, because in truth, I am torn. I a...