A recent news story piqued my interest. Four Hooksett, New Hampshire town employees with 46 years of service between them were fired, in part for gossiping and discussing rumors of an improper relationship between the town administrator and another employee that Hooksett residents now agree were not true. The administrator complained, and after an investigation the town council fired the women, finding, “Gossip, whispering, and an unfriendly environment are causing poor morale and interfering with the efficient performance of town business.” “When I was given my termination papers, I just looked at the gentlemen that were present in the room and I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’” said fired worker Sandy Piper, who insisted her comments weren’t out of line. “We discussed it on a lunch break, and then it ended.” The same thing happens everyday (except for the termination part) in offices all over this great land. Gossip happens everyday in neighborhoods, car pools and in annoying public cell
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There will soon be a history making moment in Major League Baseball. The long revered home run record of Henry Aaron will be broken by Barry Bonds. America was swept up in euphoria when Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa shattered Babe Ruth’s single season record. The excitement helped save a game badly damaged by petty labor disputes. Now an accomplishment of much greater magnitude is approaching and America is apathetic or even hostile toward Barry Bonds. The reason? There is considerable reason to suspect that he enhanced his strength and performance with steroids. Here is the problem with being a Barry-hatah on that basis alone. MLB did not ban steroids until a couple of years ago. So Bonds did not violate any “rules” of Major League Baseball. He lived in a free floating world of situational ethics and he decided the greater good was to get stronger. Barry Bonds was certainly not alone in artificially building his body. And it is
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Earlier this month I related once again to Charlie Brown of the Peanuts comic strip. Linus and Charlie are having one of their lean on the fence discussions about life. The dialogue goes like this. Linus: What’s the best thing to do with regrets.Charlie Brown: Well, I think most people try to save them. Then they can take them out now and then and look at them.Linus: Do you save all of your old regrets, Charlie Brown?Charlie Brown: Oh yes, I have an award-winning collection! Most of us do, Charlie Brown. Satan would have us open up that regret collection on a regular basis. Too many Christians live defeated lives because we live in regret of the past and fear of the future. Putting your faith in Jesus should allow us to redeem the past, trust God for the future, and live contentedly in the moment. So I rarely open the regret lock-box these days. But a recent news story
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Cynicism is not missing from the Bible texts. For example, Job’s response to his buddy Zophar smacks of cynicism.   “You people really know everything, don’t you?      And when you die, wisdom will die with you!  NLT  Job 12   Job throws down a “you people” to Zophar and his two compadres. I don’t think that Job really thought wisdom would die with the passing of his three friends. I would classify that as a cynical remark. What I struggle with is that cynicism is never listed (even in the apocryphal books) as a spiritual gift. My one chance to move to the head of the class! Denied. Recently I spotted a T-Shirt that conveys a sad truth.   I’m not cynical. I’m just experienced.   I receive a pretty steady stream of correspondence from “experienced” Christians who are fighting cynicism. This recent email is typical. I’m a cynic by nature. I recognize human failings (especially the stupidity in myself) and I am amazed by the concept of
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My Mother died in January so this will be my first Mother’s Day without her. This is a piece that I wrote right after her death. It is a story of incredible grace and redemption. Blessings, Dave There is the sadness of loss that is tempered with the joy of seeing her relationship with the Lord Jesus in her final months. The last year of my Mom’s life caused me to think of Al Michael’s famous question from the 1980 Olympics. “Do you believe in miracles?” I do believe in miracles. I have seen one. I loved my Mom but our relationship was challenging. She was raised in a family where love was not expressed. She could be very negative and her comments had stung me over the years. I knew that she loved me fiercely but I will admit that I grieved for a more gracious expression of her love. My Mom could be really difficult. As her health
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The lovely Mrs. Burchett and I recently had the joy of watching Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder in concert. I have decided that if am ever unresponsive you can check my heart status by putting a Ricky Skaggs CD on the stereo. If my toe doesn’t start tapping I am likely flat-lined. You just can’t help responding if you have a pulse. I left the concert and waded through Skagg’s discography. One song brought back memories of something my Mom always said to me. The song that jogged that recollection was called Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’. Now lookee here gal don’t ya’ high hat me,I ain’t forgot what you used ta beWhen you didn’t have nuthin,That was plain ta’ see.Don’t get above your raisin’Stay down ta’ earth with me. Mom was raised as a farm girl in Kentucky and she was fiercely proud of that. So anytime she perceived that I was getting a bit uppity and full of myself she would
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I am embracing my new found role of grumpy old man. I suspect others have viewed me as a grumpy old man for some time but I am just getting around to embracing it. I am on the record as a huge fan of the Muppets. Two very underrated characters were Statler and Waldorf, the two grumpy old guys who sat in the balcony and criticized the show every week. I loved those guys. Here is a sampling of the sarcastic stylings of Statler and Waldorf. Statler:  What would you do if you were a rich man?Waldorf:  I’d buy the network and cancel this show! Statler: Wake up you old fool. You slept through the show.Waldorf: Who’s a fool? You watched it. Statler: I wonder if there really is life on another planet?Waldorf: Why do you care? You don’t have a life on this one! Okay, I will concede that the Muppet faces and voices made the lines funnier. I am
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