Love Lost and Contentment Found in New Mexico
This article is dedicated to my mother, who is 91 years today. Happy birthday Mum!
Last week, two good friends of mine from Houston stayed with me in ABQ for a week. Nancy and Dan had never met before coming to ABQ, so I was a little unsure how they would get along. All three … More “Love Lost and Contentment Found in New Mexico”
The Man in the Seat Next to Me
I was flying Southwest from Houston back to ABQ after a challenging all-day course I presented on the shale-gas revolution to a large Oil and Gas company. Waiting at the departure gate I looked up from my laptop to see an elderly man, tall and very thin, with untidy hair and poorly dressed, who was … More “The Man in the Seat Next to Me”
Treasures of the Southwest: Part 1
Although I have lived in the southwest USA for seven years, I was surprised and spiritually refreshed by some encounters on a recent driving tour with family members.
First of all, at Hanging Lake, close to Glenwood Springs west of Denver, the parking lot was full. We circled the lot a couple times waiting and … More “Treasures of the Southwest: Part 1”
Gloomy Thinking is Contagious, and can Lead to Depression and to Dementia
Every close relationship (eg, romantic; marriage; boss and employee; parent and child) can be described by a positive circle and a negative circle. If the positive circle is larger, the relationship tends to succeed, and vice versa. The success of a relationship can depend on which circle we emphasize. If we emphasize the positive, that … More “Gloomy Thinking is Contagious, and can Lead to Depression and to Dementia”
What it Feels like in a Tornado Shelter
When the tornado sirens began to whine, I was shaving. Stupidly, I made a decision to finish shaving, which took about two minutes. On the last day of May 2013, we watched on TV a line of deadly thunder cells stretched out along a north-east direction. It was crawling eastward toward southeast Kansas where we … More “What it Feels like in a Tornado Shelter”
The Beauty and the Barbecue
She was 18 years old, and had graduated from high school just three weeks ago. We stopped for a dinner of barbecue brisket, at Dinks in the Oklahoma town of Bartlesville. This town used to be one of the richest towns in the USA (oil money from the Bartlesville sandstone discovered in the early 1900’s). … More “The Beauty and the Barbecue”
Captivity – Ten years in a house of horror!
The separate abduction in Cleveland of three young women, aged 14, 16, and 20, who were held captive for almost ten years, has shocked us to the core. First of all, how were they abducted? Furthermore, how were they kept in this one house without being detected by other homeowners along the street? In addition, … More “Captivity – Ten years in a house of horror!”
Some Truths about Grace: Do you feel accepted and loved and forgiven?
Do you know which well-known Christian wrote these words: • “If Jesus appeared at your dining table tonight with knowledge of everything you are and are not. You would feel his acceptance and forgiveness. Unreservedly accepted, approved, and infinitely loved”. • “The living presence of Jesus awakened joy and set people free”. • “He freed … More “Some Truths about Grace: Do you feel accepted and loved and forgiven?”
Sodom – Discovery of the City of the Bible
This week I heard a presentation by Dr Steven Collins, an Albuquerque archeologist, who has discovered the Sodom of the Bible. My Dad used to tell me that the city was by the Dead Sea, and I used to ask him what caused the destruction of Sodom. However, he didn’t know, but Dr Collins thinks … More “Sodom – Discovery of the City of the Bible”