Category Archives: In A Nutshell

Let Everyone Know that Oak Chapel Has a Place for Them The vacations we took as a family when I was growing up were modest at best — usually a destination within four hours of our home in suburban Pittsburgh. My parents were kind, loving, and generous people, but they were also very frugal andContinue reading “In A Nutshell | October 1, 2021”

Time to ‘Seal the Deal’ There are many reasons why I failed in my first job out of college as a consumer products sales representative. To begin with, it was not what I went to school for, so I was less than committed to what the position required. Secondly, I was lacking in the mostContinue reading “In A Nutshell | September 24, 2021”

Join Us as We Celebrate ‘Back-to-Church Sunday’ This Sunday we will celebrate “Back-to-Church Sunday” — an effort to rekindle our enthusiasm for regular attendance at worship services after the pandemic and other distractions derailed our routine for the better part of a year and squeezed us out our Sunday morning regimen. Equally important is ourContinue reading “In A Nutshell | September 17, 2021”

God Promises to Get Us Through the Tough Times I would imagine that each of us knows where we were and what we were doing when we first heard that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, What followed would shake all of us to the core and cause usContinue reading “In A Nutshell | September 10, 2021”

On the Grand Scale, Spiritual Baggage isn’t Worth the Weight I almost hate to admit this, but I am a closet weight watcher. I step on the scale every morning, just to see how adversely the previous day’s caloric intake affected my bottom line. Overall, my weight is fairly consistent, and who really cares anyway?Continue reading “In A Nutshell | September 3, 2021”

Searching for Spiritual Safety in Scripture The perilous and heart-wrenching images of refugees desperately trying to escape from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover has left many of us feeling helpless and somewhat hopeless, but there are occasional bright spots. For example, the father of one young Afghan family that was fortunate enough to make itContinue reading “In A Nutshell | August 27, 2021”

Draining the System and Purifying the Soul Each day, on my way to and from the church, I pass ADS (Advanced Drainage Systems) on Warner Hill. Invariably, there is a fully loaded truck leaving the facility or an empty truck returning from a delivery. I guess I never realized how much of this pipe runsContinue reading “In A Nutshell | August 20, 2021”

In the Presence of Greatness I have always admired Peyton Manning. The former NFL quarterback and newly minted Hall of Famer, was a prolific player, especially when rallying his team in the final minutes. I really enjoyed watching him as he showcased his incredible skills, but even more impressive was the way he handled himself,Continue reading “In A Nutshell | August 13, 2021”

Memorable Mentors are Worth Mentioning Phil Shipe was a man of many talents. In addition to his success as a football coach, wrestling coach, and physical education instructor at The College of Wooster, he was anaccomplished artist, whose paintings on barn siding drew national acclaim. But CoachShipe’s greatest and most endearing skill was his abilityContinue reading “In A Nutshell | August 6, 2021”

Worth the Effort As the Olympic Games wrap up their first week of competition in Tokyo, I am reminded of the effort that it takes just to get there, let alone win a medal. Hours and hours of intense training and grueling workouts have been invested by every athlete during the months leading up toContinue reading “In A Nutshell | July 30, 2021”