Category: This And That
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Great Expectations
Pip’s given name was Philip. Maybe that was why I felt him a kindred spirit even when I was in high school. That affinity grew stronger each time a girl broke my heart! I became convinced that every woman on earth possessed an extra gene. A sinister flaw in their genetic code, I thought! The…
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A Dog Tale
When the power went out, we sat in the hot, still air, the darkness kept at bay by oil lamps scattered throughout the house, We waited, not sure for what- The storm to end, the roof to blow off, the trees to smash our house, all of the above! We didn’t know what would happen.…
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Root-bound, Not Me!
People sometimes bully us, abuse us, or say unkind things to us. Such things can hurt us deeply and we may build walls around our hearts to escape such attacks. However, what we hoped would protect us from external hurts often become a prison in which we become root-bound. Bad roots of doubt and despair…
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For The Wrong Reason
The persuasion for me to go to the mission field was neither spiritual nor spectacular like the Apostle Paul’s. He knew Jesus had personally called him and there was no turning back. In my years as a jungle missionary, I faltered in the pursuit of my calling and wanted to quit, time and again! However,…
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Over-The-Hill in Europe
It was daylight when the Airbus descended through the layer of cotton clouds to lower elevations and prepared for our landing in Frankfurt. Though we made our trip at the end of November, almost wintertime, I was surprised to see most of the fields still verdant, a patchwork quilt like my mother used to make,…
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I Don’t Believe In Ghosts, But . . .
I walked the darkened hall remembering many similar walks over 40 years ago. Like then, the building was, again, deserted, but unlike long ago, a few emergency lights illuminated my path over the un-level floors. I remembered how, as a young man, my nerves were on edge, my hair standing up on the back of…
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Smelling Like A Cowboy
However, my mother saw or smelled me coming, I don’t know which. She met me at the door, blocking my way into her house. No, I was not coming into her house the way I was! Instead, she made me go stand in the yard. She got the garden hose and sprayed cold water on…
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RISK, More Than A Game
The arrow that I hold in my hand in the picture is one of the arrows that was pulled from Dave’s body. In redecorating the lobby of our old building, or in our move to the tower location, this artifact was thrown out. My co-worker rescued it before it hit the dumpster, and now it…
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Flat Hats, Haggis And Robert Burns
I am a man of many hats! So many, in fact, that my wife, Jackie, thinks I should get rid of some! I have a cowboy hat that I wear on special occasions or when I get to go home to Montana. I have a straw hat, good for the beach. The rest of my…
Writings By Phil 