Category Archives: In A Nutshell

See You in September When I was in sixth grade, one of the most popular songs that spring was “See You In September” by The Happenings. It was a bittersweet song, celebrating the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, but lamenting the three-month separation from our friends and classmates. As I remember, theContinue reading “In A Nutshell | May 28, 2026”

Breaking Bread Together There are many theories as to why the nuclear family has fractured during the past 75 years, but I blame an unusual culprit — the TV Dinner. That’s right! Prior to the advent of the prepackaged frozen dinners in the 1950s and 1960s, families gathered around the dinner table most evenings to share the day’sContinue reading “In A Nutshell | May 14, 2026”

Navigating Rough Roads I don’t really understand the roadwork that was done on Warner Hill leading up to the church last summer. When they scraped up the surface asphalt, I fully expected that they would replace it with a nice, new, smooth surface…but they didn’t. Some have suggested that the rough surface would make the road easierContinue reading “In A Nutshell | April 30, 2026”

Faith is Not a Popularity Contest  When I was in high school, being popular was very important to me, which is strange because I wasn’t all that popular. As I grew older, my quest for popularity gave way to simply being accepted by others. I guess in many ways I felt that I didn’t measure up to others;Continue reading “In A Nutshell | April 16, 2026”

Taking the Fall Many years ago, when I played slow-pitch softball in Wooster’s Parks and RecreationLeague, my teammates and I would often say, “Pick Me Up” after one of us made an outand seemingly let the team down. In other words, do something to lift us up since wefailed to do so. In our spiritualContinue reading “In A Nutshell | March 19, 2026”

Taking Out the Trash When we take our trash to the curb each week, we set the bin in place and walk back tothe house, never giving much thought to where it goes — until there is a problem. Lastmonth, for some reason, they failed to dump our bin into the truck. Sheri called severaltimes,Continue reading “In A Nutshell | March 5, 2026”

Correction Without Condemnation I never liked getting yelled at as a child. Even as I grew older, I was always uncomfortable, even embarrassed, when someone would correct me. It took years for me to understand and accept what my Mother told me many times early in life: “It’s for your own good.” Even my Fit Bit scoldsContinue reading “In A Nutshell | February 19, 2026”

The Power of God’s Forgiveness Having recently returned from a few days in sunny, but not so warm, Florida, I foundmyself mesmerized by the soothing sound of the ocean and the gentle waves as theylanded softly on the shore. What really caught my attention was the power of the wavesto erase all of the blemishesContinue reading “In A Nutshell | February 5, 2026”

When it Comes to Spiritual Food, Be Sure to Clean Your Plate When it comes to food, I am just as likely to get it on me as in me. Whether it’s ketchup,mustard, gravy, or spaghetti sauce, chances are I will wear it after a meal or a snack. Iknow, I need to be moreContinue reading “In A Nutshell | January 22, 2026”

Opportunities to Spread the Christmas Spirit Extend into the New Year The call came in early on Christmas morning, but I was not there to hear it. A woman’svoice left a message on the church’s answering machine at about 7:30 a.m. “We’re afamily of five, and we have nothing to eat,” she said. “I wasContinue reading “In A Nutshell | January 8, 2026”