The Cross and Pen

The phrase “time heals all wounds” is certainly cliche. But does time - that is, distance from an event - actually provide healing? Some would be quick to argue that it does, citing how months and years provide the ability to pick up the pieces and move on with one’s life. While this may be true in the sense that life does in fact go on, it doesn’t necessitate that its continual march bestows any healing. In fact, research indicates that the passage of time doesn’t provide any healing, that what it actually does is allow opportunity. Heather Lyons, Ph.D. noted,    "Some people will use time as an opportunity to collect experiences that orient them toward their values and dilute or challenge difficult experiences," (Mandriota, 2024). I suppose this is true particularly when it comes to loss.  As I mentioned in a previous post, on January 9, 2024, I had to say goodbye to my dog, Rose. It was a heartbreaking decision whose pain has not dissipated. While it’s been little more...

When I was a child, the leftover phrase from the 50s and 60s from mothers to “always wear clean underwear” was frequently quoted out of banter than practicality. The notion behind it was that if something untoward happened, one would not be caught with dirty underwear. It seems to me that if something bad did happen, the cleanliness of one’s underwear would be the last concern. However, the tongue-in-cheek, mother-knows-best phrase was an overly simplistic way to remind folks to be always be prepared by taking a basic action albeit an unintentional precaution. I follow Discover the Book Movement (DTBM) on YouTube and have listened to many of Dr. John Barnett’s sermons. They are all very informative and insightful. However, a particular sermon, The 25 End of the World Signs , spoke to me in a way the others hadn’t. Dr. Barnett discussed the state of the world prior to the rapture and Tribulation. There will be famines, earthquakes, lawlessness, and civil unrest. The Book of Revelation p...

Born in the mid-60s and having grown up in the 70s, I grew up in the decade that followed the assassination of J.F.K., his brother, Bobby, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Civil Rights Movement had reached its peak and spawned social change. The 70s saw the end of the Vietnam War and ushered in desegregation. My brother, ten years my senior, graduated in 1973. During his high school days, he witnessed several riots that were spurred on by the tumultuous social issues of the day. As I’m fond of quipping, we didn’t have mental health issues back then. We just sucked it up. Society hadn’t transitioned to the kindler, gentler version it would become several decades later when all kids received a trophy. There were winners and losers because that’s how life worked. During the introduction of the TV series, All in the Family, Archie Bunker sang, “…and men were men…” That somewhat epitomized men’s role. They were expected to be men - tough - an amalgam of bravado and chivalry. If a woman w...