WRITINGS

Liking & Loving
Think you know what love is?

Crazy Grace
It's a shame what we've done to Amazing Grace. It doesn't seem to strike us as truly amazing anymore. I'd go so far as to say we're not even hardly enamored by God's offer to trade His big, pretty vestures for our ratty, little robes. The most amazing tradeoff in the world, in all of creation, has become common to us. And that's especially true for those of us who've grown up hearing sermons about grace, singing songs about grace, reading books about grace, and enjoying grace dramas.

Crazy Love
Wouldn't it be really cool to be able to say that you were the first person ever to hear, "For God so loved the world..?" I have a good idea that Nic never imagined his conversation with Jesus would get so much coverage. As many times as Sunday School classes, vacation bible schools and church youth camps have had to memorize John 3:16, it's quite possible we've never really grasped the idea of those red words the way they were intended.

Kinfolk
Abraham had Isaac who had Jacob who had, and they had, and they had and on and on and on. This is my least favorite part of the Bible. It's no fun. I get bored with my own family tree, so tracing somebody else's is not a passion of mine. There is obvious significance to the inclusion of this list of names no doubt, but I'm more into exploring things like why Jesus was so comfortable doing and saying the things he did, even in the hostile face of society, his family, his friends and religion.

Now This Is Church!
It's one of those things you sorta look forward to and dread at the same time. It's both expectation and experience that motivates you to get everything ready the night before so you don't have to go through too much trouble in the morning. But when that too-pushy alarm clock screams you awake only minutes, it seems, after you just nodded off, it's all you can do not to reconsider and roll over. But, you don't want to be late. Besides, it's tough to get in once they start the announcements.

Singing In The Rain
I was really counting on the sunshine today. All my plans depended on it. I sat down last night and made out my list of things to do today and everything was contingent on a clear, sunny day. I got up this morning feeling good, singing and ready for the task. Then I saw the clouds. It dawned on me then that I probably should've checked in with the weather man before making plans. I stopped singing.

Nobody Likes A Bully
Does anybody like a bully? You may have heard me tell of my fight with Rocky. We both attended Clark Moore's Middle School. I was supposed to be there. Rocky was enjoying his second or third tour of duty in those hallowed halls. I don't think Rocky ever lost a fight… including the one he had with me. He was a bully and everyone went out of their way to stay out of his. He was forevermore a Goliath and I, like many of his other victims, was a David in every physical sense. That may be why I get such a kick out of the battle scene in 1 Samuel 17.

By Example
Ever been in a mall early in the morning? It's really a neat place to be. I found myself there one morning waiting for the JC Penney store to open. Most of the people in the place were older folks there to get their exercise in before the shops opened. So I figured I'd join them in their walk and listen to their talk.

You Can't See The Wind
I think it was my ninth grade year when I humiliated myself in front of the whole class. No, wait a minute... that happened every year. I always did it to myself though. But I remember this time particularly well. Our science teacher asked the class if any of us had ever seen the wind. Everyone else sat there like the intelligent students they were. I raised my hand.

Let There Be Light
If you travel Interstate 84 along the Columbia River Basin in Northern Oregon you'll see some of the most beautiful country you've ever laid your eyes on. You'll see Mt. Hood to your south, Mt. Adams to your north and you'll watch the John Day and Deschutes Rivers flow out of the mountains and empty into the Columbia River. It's absolutely beautiful. The trees, the waterfalls, the peaks.

Back To The Beginning
In our travels we don't often get the chance to stop and visit the tourist attractions we come across. Most of what we see is viewed through a bus window or we're looking down on it from the plane. That's why it was a treat to stop in at Cudjo's Caverns.

Waiting
Do you like to wait? Me neither. I'm waiting right now. This time I'm waiting my turn to get my car fixed. It's not broken actually. I'm fixing it before it breaks. I'm getting it serviced. We all have to do this regularly so our automobiles will operate efficiently and properly. And so the warranty will hold up and the mechanic won't have to say, "I'm sorry, but you've tampered with this yourself and voided your coverage."

Love - For One Reason Or Another
She loves me. She loves me not. She loves me... Remember that? I can remember sitting next to one of the trees in our front yard as a youngster, pulling the petals off a daisy and hoping I'd end up being loved instead of loved not. We all know though that love is really not that simple. And I hope it's not as fragile.

God VS Computers
Only twelve months ago we were all wondering what was going to happen when the clock hit the midnight hour come January first. We were expecting more than just the dawning a new day. This went way past turning the calendar page to a new month or a new year. This was bigger than a new decade. How many times has something like this ever happened? We were even looking at something bigger than a new century. We were talking about the consequences of finding ourselves in a new millennium and all it would bring to our age of technology.

Christmas Will Happen Anyway
I guess there were well over a thousand lights all strung together and placed very strategically across the front of the house, up the eaves and across the roof top. When the sun went down and the lights came on the Bishop house would look like a Christmas postcard come to life. That image of my family's home as the Christmas showplace of the county was the only motivation I needed to continue the task of stretching and attaching string after string of sparkling white lights to our humble abode.

The Sun's Coming Up
Did you see the show this morning? I hope so. It was spectacular. There it was, big, bright and right on time. We knew it was coming. Several things gave it away. First of all, there was the prelude. Just as the show was about to begin the birds who'd been quiet and still for the last several hours started their songs of introduction. They must have received a cue from their conductor. Gradually, one by one the stars began their disappearing act, giving way to the real star of the show. Then it started. At first it was just a ray… then a peek. And before you knew it, there it was… bright enough and warm enough to dry the dew and melt the fog. The sun came up this morning and what a show it put on. Thing is, we were all expecting it. We all knew there would be another day.

Making A Mark
I suppose everyone would like to leave their mark on the world. It's easier for some than others. It hasn't been a problem for my little boy though. Christian was only two years old when we built the house on Picnic Hill Road. It was fun watching him grow and watching our house go up at the same time. He was going through diapers like we were going through lumber and nails.

Teamwork
Here's the scene. Our team is down by two, we have two men on with two outs and one of our best hitters is at the plate. As a matter of fact, he's our lead off man. Well, he's our lead off boy. And he's my boy. And I'm proud.

The Gambler
I'm not normally a gambler. I don't figure I have anything I can afford to lose. I did gamble the other day though… and I lost. I didn't lose much, but it was aggravating just the same

Making Memories
Do you remember when you were younger. As a little girl or little boy it seemed sometimes that the days were so long, especially around Christmas time. Before the summer school break was over you had run out of fun things to do and you were actually bored. If your house was like ours, you may have gotten under your mother's feet while she tried to do the work that had to be done around the house. She might say, "It's a beautiful day outside, why don't you go out and play?" So you'd put on your old play clothes and head out the door to see what kind of game or toy you could find. Around our place that usually meant what kind of mischief we could get into.

A Really Bad Haircut
If a bad haircut is the worst thing that ever happens to a fella then I'd say he's got it made - and he's living a pretty charmed life. There are a lot of things worse than a bad haircut. But I just got one, a really bad one, and it's pretty embarrassing.

Rocky VS Kenny/ Fight VS Forgive
Have you ever been in a fight? I got in a real fight one time when I was in middle school. The students had been assembled in the school gym for some reason and just as we were being dismissed Rocky grabbed my jacket and threw it under the bleachers. I was furious... and scared. But more furious.

Did You Floss?
I was back in the dentist office today, this time for my regular check up and cleaning. I knew it was coming. It's been scheduled since my last check up six months ago. I knew the routine too.

Finished!
Back in another decade when I was in high school I used to be a runner on the cross country team. Don't ask me why I did such a thing. To be honest, I can't tell you why I stayed after school every afternoon and stretched until something popped, then ran for miles around the adjoining golf course until oxygen came in cannisters. I don't know what made me do it. But I did it. Every afternoon after class, rain or shine, I'd go to the locker room, suit up for a couple of hours of torture in the wind, warm up and hit the trail.

Christmas
My older brother, Mark and I were probably five and six years old at the time. It's the first Christmas I can really remember well. Of course we were excited about the idea of waking up on Christmas morning to find that Santa had been in the house and left us some new toys and maybe some new clothes. (But what five year old really cares about clothes? What a waste of Christmas money.)

Thank You Very Much
My favorite version of Charles Dicken's, "A Christmas Carol" is the one that was produced in 1970 by Robert Solo and features Albert Finney as Ebeneezer Scrooge. I like the story line, and I'm musically curious. So this musical version of the classic old tale is right up my alley. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it lacks the dark, negative feel of most of the other versions I've seen.

First Class
I just walked right past the first class section to find my seat. I've never flown first class. Every time I've ever boarded a plane I've walked right past the wide seats with the extra leg room and gourmet meals. As a matter of fact, I usually end up toward the back of the plane which means I'm among the first to board and the last to get off. I'm certainly not complaining. The alternative to flying is either a long drive or an even longer walk.

How Do I Look?
I Live in a small east-central Kentucky town, and culture isn't very diversified in our little neck of the woods. We haven't tried to keep it out, it just hasn't made it's way to us yet.

Freedom
One of the things I miss most when I'm away from home are the little chats my little girl, Casie and I have when I tuck her in at night. That's when she usually opens her mind up and just shares with me. She talks about her friends at school. One of them has been giving her a hard time lately and Casie said she was trying to handle it the way Jesus would. I'm proud of her.

Quite A Lady
Several years ago the world was mourning the death of a very influential lady. Jacqueline Onassis was about as close to an American princess as anyone could get. Everywhere she went she was the center of attention. Photographers, both professional and amateur, crowded for a shot of the American icon, and society's elite wanted to be seen with her. She was quite a lady I'm told. I didn't know her myself, but from what I'd seen that was the impression.

Graves
Cemeteries aren't happy places. They aren't meant to be. I even know a few people who are afraid of them. But they are interesting places and you can learn a lot by visiting a cemetery and taking a look around.

Ready! Set! Finish!
You and I are probably a lot alike. If you have a treadmill or a weight bench gathering dust somewhere in your house, we're a lot alike. If you have at least a dozen books with the pages dog eared about half way through marking your last visit, you and I are a great deal alike.

Lost Treasure Found
I didn't know if I'd ever get it back. And if I did, I didn't know if it would all be intact. It contained all of my road expense money, my credit cards, my personal info and family pictures. I couldn't afford to lose it, so I was praying that an honest person would find it and turn it in. At that moment all I wanted was to find my wallet and it's contents. That's all

I'm Listening
Maude Flannery was a sweet lady. She was at least seventy years old when we moved in across the street from her. She was very independent and refused to let anyone do for her what she could do for herself.

Don't Go There
There are some things that I don't want anyone to know about me. I'd like everyone to think that I'm the most patient, understanding and kind gentleman they'll ever know. I'd like everyone to believe that I get along with everyone and never, ever disagree. I'd like everyone to think that I'm perfect in every way. But actually, well, I'm not.

Lesson Learned
I was never a rebellious teenager. I may not have been normal by some standards. But I was never really tempted to go out and do the party thing like many of my friends in school were doing. They'd come to school on Monday morning tell about the awesome party they hit on Saturday night and how wild it was. What a ball! They never did say anything about spending their Sunday hugging the porcelain throne. But, we all knew that was part of it.

I Know Me
It seemed like the day would never get here. I'd spent at least three weeks dreading it. And after what seemed like three months, it finally got here. I didn't have to do much. All I had to do was sit back awkwardly with my mouth open and let the dentist and his assistant do their work. I knew they knew what they were doing, so that wasn't the problem. I had confidence in their skills. The problem was, I have no affection for pain. It hurts. So I spent too many of my precious days worrying about the hurt that was about to be inflicted on me. And how would I react?

He Didn't Stay There
Once upon a time, a King had a beautiful palace in a wonderful Kingdom where no bad thing existed. Nature was perfect because harmony was natural. Love was the rule and the cause of all things... But He didn't stay there.

That's Good Eatin'
I just got myself a doughnut. It's not the most nutritious way to start a day, but I'm in a hotel room all by myself and I'm far away from home. I needed something to pick me up, something to make me feel not so bad. So I started the search and got myself a doughnut.

The Parent Trap
Parents have it. I suppose grandparents do too, but I'm not one of those yet so I can't really speak for them. But I am a parent, and I know what I'm talking about when I say that it hurts me to see my children hurt. I guess you'd call it a parental catch twenty-two.

Let's Be Honest
This drum has been beat before. As a matter of fact, I've been known to beat it a bit myself. But I think it deserves another hit or two. Let's talk just a minute about honesty. Not the kind that makes you reveal the little ping and hesitation to guy about to buy your car. Not even the kind that compels you turn in that expensive ring you found out on the store sidewalk.