February 27, 2021
I recently listened to an interview of a well known Mixed Martial Arts combatant and it has provided some deep thoughts for my mind to process. For the uninitiated, MMA is a sport which combines boxing, wrestling, and some rudimentary street fighting into a singular discipline. It is brutal, raw, tough, and unscripted. The money paid to top fighters is large, but the pain of hand to hand battle can leave lasting damage and disfigurement on any one “brave” enough to get into the caged octagon. The question that grabbed my attention was when the interviewer asked something like, “Tell... View Article
February 5, 2021
“Most of your favorite players aren’t good people…” was the quote heard throughout the NFL this past week. The traction is due to the fact that it wasn’t an outsider leveling these accusations but a known wide receiver with over 400 career receptions and 30 touchdowns. As he unpacked many of his thoughts about the toll a game like football takes on the whole of a person, he even wondered if the trade off was worth it. When he sees that he’s unable to pick up his child, quickly do some math in his head, and other things a... View Article
January 29, 2021
The decade of the 60’s and 70’s represent a pinnacle of American Muscle car manufacturing and included models with names such as: Mustang, ‘Vette, ‘Cuda, Road Runner, and GTO. There’s a small car company in Washington State hoping to restore prestige to American automobiles, SSC. They recently completed official track testing on their model “Tautara” and have been crowned as the fastest production car company ever with a verified two run average of almost 283 miles per hour. This has been billed as just a start and the manufacturer is quietly suggesting that over 300MPH is within their grasp. ... View Article
January 22, 2021
There was a noticeable excitement recently when some unusual things aligned and made the infamous Aurora Borealis, also known as The Northern Lights, visible farther south than usual. Speculation was that if everything was perfect, they would be faintly visible as close to us as northern Iowa. The rarity of this made for great anticipation. This past week, our country witnessed something just as rare – a peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another. Research has indicated that although this exercise is a foundational aspect of the democratic/republic style of government, most people who’ve ever lived have... View Article
January 15, 2021
“Good Morning Jim, how are you today” was my standard greeting to a man in the first church I served as pastor. I usually knew what type of response this question would receive based on the weather. My friend Jim especially detested the snow that Iowa winters bring. So when the ground was covered white, his replies weren’t glowing and positive. I remember that he would say he was going to strap a snow shovel on the front of his truck and drive straight south. He indicated he would stop only when someone asked him what was stuck on his... View Article
January 1, 2021
“Banished from 2021” An article with a unique title caught my eye this past week – “University releases annual ‘banished words’ list for 2021.” When you read those words, you have to dig further to find out what words you won’t be “allowed” to say this year. COVID-19 made the top of the list. Other words/phrases destined for the recycling bin included: Rona, unprecedented, social distancing, and we are all in this together. Although this list is new to me, it appears that Lake Superior State University has been hopefully presenting this concept for several years. As I contemplated this... View Article
December 11, 2020
“If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be?” This thought provoking question has been asked for many years as a great conversation starter. How one answers this question can reveal a lot about their age. The more mature group might answer with John Wayne or Doris Day. People born in the 70’s and 80’s might suggest names like Bill Gates, Margaret Thatcher, or Michael Jordan. Ask a young adult and you’re likely to hear about a “ninja” or “PewDiePie.” (If those names don’t mean much to you, ask your children or grandchildren. For a few minutes... View Article
December 4, 2020
There was a comical holiday cooking incident at the McIntosh house last week when we whipped up a family favorite snack using what we “remembered”. As the ingredients were being mixed together we began to feel like one of our memorized measurements might be wrong. After a quick reassurance that we felt good about the ratio, we plodded on. It wasn’t until the baking cycle was almost half way done that the surety something was wrong set in. The food wasn’t looking like it usually did. When we finally were able to find the recipe it turns out that... View Article
November 7, 2020
A funeral I officiated recently had a uniqueness about it I will not soon forget. I did not know the family but I discovered that he had been a long time Army warrior and finished his career as a Lieutenant Colonel after turning down a promotion to Full Bird because he didn’t want to spend three years abroad. When I was asked to lead the service I was informed the family had requested a Major General to attend and provide the eulogy. This career Army officer knew the deceased personally and provided some amazing stories of how he had earned... View Article
October 30, 2020
A recent look in our mailbox found the regulation size box stuffed full. Included were plenty of catalogs offering seasonal home decor, gifts, and delectable deserts, and a fair share of colleges trying to catch the attention of a certain high school senior. But overwhelmingly the bulk of the room was taken up by political mailers. Two things I’m guessing most Americans can agree on – someone is making a mint on producing full color advertising, and we are excited to see the amount of mail return to normal. While we look towards November 3rd and the end of campaign... View Article