Rules for Living

No. 162: Don't cut the tags off your new clothes until you've tried them on.

No Deal

Sometimes the best deal is no deal.

Both

It's not what you know, or who you know. It's both.

New Year's Surprises

Make your resolutions for the New Year, but be prepared for surprises.

Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated today. A sad day for all who seek peace and democracy in Asia.

Christmas Cleanup

Christmas comes but once each year. That's because it takes 364 days to clean up.

Rules for Living

No. 11: Don't expect much sleep on Christmas morning if you have kids.

The Piercing Joy of Christmas

May the piercing joy of Christmas overwhelm our fears, drown our sorrows, salve our pain, and embolden us to live with abandon in 2008.

Joy to the World

Joy to the World

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Isaac Watts, 1719

When Angry

... don't send that e-mail.

Just Wondering

I don't take any atheist holidays off. Do atheists take Christmas off?

Free Time

I never knew how much free time I had in college-until I was out of college.

Immanuel

During Advent season, we look back on the coming of Immanuel, God with us. Because of Christmas, we never have to be alone again.

Flowing Tears

In journalism, we can't wait for people to mourn before doing our job. Sometimes we must write while the tears are still flowing.

Joy to the World

Joy to the World

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Isaac Watts, 1719

Sending Messages

One of the stated reasons Major League Baseball is cracking down on players who used steroids is to send a message to America's youth that these drugs are dangerous. I'm all for sending messages, but why don't our liberal elites ever want to send a message about the dangers--physical, emotional, spiritual-about premarital sex? On that topic, we suddenly think that young people won't listen to us, that there's nothing we can do. Is it perhaps because too many of today's opinion leaders were guilty of the same offense and know they lack the moral standing to speak up?

On Schedule

Stick to your schedule, unless something more important (not necessarily more urgent) comes up.

Christmas Music

If people chose their religion based on which one has the best music, it would be no contest.

Rules for Living

No. 665: If you must wear a hat, make sure it looks good.

When a Gunman Comes to Church

Jesus said to turn the other cheek, not turn the other way.

Technology

Technology ain't everything. A high-def TV, for instance, sharpens our view of the ugly and bad.

"MC"

I don't demand that non-Christians wish me a "Merry Christmas" (though "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" are annoying when we all know what holiday and which season we are really talking about). But that won't stop me from wishing them a "Merry Christmas"-and a "Happy Hanukkah," too, if they are Jewish.

Kid Wisdom

"Why did it snow if I can't play in it?"

Time to Verify

A new National Intelligence Estimate suggests that Iran may, may, have given up its nuclear bomb-building program-at least for the moment. If so, that is good news for a jittery world. But given the intelligence failures related to Iraq's weapons program, an old dictum of Ronald Regan still applies: Trust, but verify. And I would add: If you can only do one of the two, then stick with "verify."

Oxymorons

Rap artist