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This world is full of painful failures and sweaty work to make any progress. Why is that? Why couldn't God just have made everything better to start with so we didn't have to do this?

Once upon a time, the Philistine army formed up with sword, spear, and shield to march on the nation of Israel. Big, strong, and aggressive, this army sought to wipe the Israelites off the mountains. God could have handled it. He could have just flicked his finger and wiped the Philistines off the beach. Nothing left but an icky smear in the sand. But he didn’t. Instead, the warriors of Israel stepped up and stood obedient and ready to fight. They might have been distracted b

I've been trying to up my prayer game. First, I tried to pray longer. I, uh, fell asleep. So, I tried to pray harder. So. Many. Squirrels. I thought about everything but what I wanted to pray about. Ah. Writing it down would help. It helped me remember, but not so much praying deeper. I'm not going to say my prayer life is stellar. I'm still working on it. But after reading How to Pray by CS Lewis, I have a much better understanding of the point of prayer. First, let me say t

What happens when a peaceable homeowner runs into a pack of murder bugs.

Writers are a bit off, but they need training and networking too.

Read about Pilot Mountain in North Carolina and what it reveals about the history of the earth.

Make coffee the way Tripp makes it. Plus, a story about a knave steeling his coffee mug.

When grilling or smoking meats, a good meat thermometer is a must have. Check out this one.

Quick and easy steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast, the way my Mainer grandfather used to make it.

How do you motivate people on your team? Tripp talks about his experience doing exactly that.

My wife's cat has a new way to kill me.

Try the Harmony of the Gospels

The mighty Man Flu. It's time someone set the record straight. And, just maybe, regain the upper hand. Colds are not the same as the flu. A cold is also known as Rhinovirus, Coronavirus, Adenovirus, or other colloquial names, such as Crud, Ague, or Sniffles. It tends to come on slow and be milder, likely without fevers. Don't ask me how to pronounce colloquial. The flu, however, is known as Influenza, which sounds dangerous enough. Some call it the Grippe or Plaque. Those don

A brief movie review for How to Train Your Dragon - Live Action Remake 2025

This is a quick, easy, hearty soup that goes well paired with hard work and cold temperatures.

Warning: this post contains a picture of a harvested deer and animal violence against a man. I spent some time recently up to camp on Moosehead Lake. It's the camp my grandfather built over sixty years ago. A place of sentiment, wildness, and peace. Well, peace for me, at least. My friend and beta reader Dave joined me. We played cribbage, hunted, and laughed quite a bit. First, the violence. Dave was attacked by a vicious wild animal. Three grey jays, also known as Canadian

I made a random thing. I do that, sometimes, just add some pasta here, some meat there, a sauce without a label. Pure culinary creation. Been doing it since college, except back then I used more salt and booze. It usually comes out pretty bad. Seriously inedible. Not this one. It came out great. I'm going to make it again, mostly because it's quick, easy, and can be done on a two-burner portable stove on a tailgate deep in the woods, which isn't far from what really happened.

Picture story of our trip to Charlotte, North Carolina

My grandfather bought a piece of property on Moosehead Lake, Maine back in 1953. Twelve acres, 1,200 feet of water frontage. Rather...

I spent an afternoon not long ago clearing trail. I have an ATV and a trail that leads across the nearby powerlines and up onto an oak...