Backyard Trinity

The five-note, other-worldly riff of film composer John Williams' Close Encounters tune would not yet reverberate for another decade– but the "Exeter Incident" had already captured the public's imagination with recent headlines.

God of the Compost, Conclusion

From Glory To Glory

The things I have described in this series of articles are glimpses of the glory of a God Who has not abandoned His creation to the dust of history. These small illustrations hint at the deeper and grander work He has taken on of reclaiming and remaking His human creation.

God of the Compost, Part 3

The Miracle of Fermentation

A process, parallel to that of composting, takes place in the production of another near-miraculous substance– one held in much higher regard than compost– wine. While the growing of grapes (and any other fruit for that matter) stands as a worthy story in its own right, the transformation of fresh grape juice into the remarkable liquid sought by both prince and poet is astounding.

God of the Compost, Part 2

Life From Decay

My wife and I have enjoyed the wonders of growing plants, both edible and ornamental, for many years. One of the early revelations we received in this pursuit concerned the power of the compost pile.

God of the Compost, Part 1

Beauty For Ashes 

The unearthly scene immersed us. On both sides of the road a deep and uniform blanket of light gray covered the ground and everything on it– clear to the horizon.

Beginning of Wisdom

A wrist-worn clock is a remarkable invention and a marvel of manufacturing. The first common availability of wristwatches appeared about a century ago, when we still moved about the earth under steam power, and we performed calculations on paper using nothing more than a pencil and the mind. 

Fragile Treasure

As the school bus rounded the far curve of the street we called "The Horseshoe," the  boy sitting next to me near the back of the bus leaned closer and whispered in my ear– "You wanna see somethin' really amazing?" Though we were both in the third grade (different classrooms) and lived only a few blocks apart, I didn't know his name. And while I was painfully shy in the presence of people I didn't know, something in his voice, and on his face, intrigued me and drew me out of my protected space. I managed a tentative "OK."