Witty Witness

My sister took the photo above during a recent hike with my brother in law and my nephew. Then she promptly did what we all do...she posted the photo on social media. I don't say that to give her a hard time, I'm glad she did. There was something really special about the picture. I found myself starring at the image on the screen, and I couldn't bring myself to click on the next photo in the online album. I honestly found the photo amazing. The roots, though covered in mud, are beautifully intertwined together. Just another example of God's complex masterpiece all around us. It's nearly impossible to look at the photo and distinguish and determine where one tree begins and another tree ends. Over the course of time, the various tree roots have stretched out and connected themselves, becoming one. Trees don't intentionally connect themselves though, right? Trees certainly don't "communicate" with each other, right?  Well...there is ongoing...

A large smile crept across my face as I took my place in the oversized bucket seat in the front of the RV next to my grandpa. He was the king of the road and I was his right hand man. I had been patiently waiting for my turn for hundreds of miles. It was an unspoken rule that each grandkid would be given a chance to sit in the seat of honor at some point during the trip. Not only was the view better from the front of the RV, more importantly there was a great sense of pride and responsibility that went along with being the co-pilot as well.  The primary objective as the co-pilot to Benny Mullins, was to keep him awake. He drank black coffee out of styrofoam cups, he chewed juicy fruit gum, and he opened the small hatch window to allow wind to blow into the cabin, all in an attempt to stay focused. Despite his best efforts, sometimes the road fatigue was too much and he'd nod off. That was always our cue to strike up a conversation or ask a question about the surroundings to...

My mom loves to tell stories of the silly and often selfish antics of my youth. Specifically she jokes that before my cousins or my friends would come over to play, I'd run around my room collecting my best and my most prized possessions, and I would rush them to the guest bathroom shower, where they would remain behind the pulled shower curtain, safe and out of sight, until my guests left and the coast was clear. The sight of a little chubby Adam waddling down the hallway, arms loaded down with action figures and bobbleheads, must have been something to see indeed. I have always been a little particular about my things, I guess. Perhaps its attributed to the fact that I was an only child for the first 9 years of my life and didn't have to share with siblings. Perhaps its simply the inherent nature of us all, sinful people who put our needs and wants ahead of others. I would like to report that in 37 years I have now outgrown my selfish ways, but I fear I haven't. I ...

Rumor has it I've gotten old, bald, fat, and ugly. Well...in fairness that's more truth than rumor. A "Rumor" is actually defined as "a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth." A rumor can also be characterized by, "Talk or opinion widely disseminated with no discernible source." See, that's the beauty of rumors, they are baseless words, originated by faceless people. It's untraceable hate at its finest, and we as a society are great at it. Are you personally guilty of gossip? I am. Have you ever perpetuated a rumor you've heard? I have. Rumors are spread for many reasons, I guess. Most notably rumors are ignited by and further flamed by the envious, with the main purpose/objective of causing pain and harm against their target. Rumors are a nasty business. As the childhood saying goes, "Rumors rumors are no fun, rumors rumors hurt someone."  If you've ever been on the wrong side of a ru...

There is a saying in our family, "you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit." I doubt Amber coined the phrase originally, but she uses it the most, in our crazy Moore crew of 5. It's most often uttered in response to one of a million different kid grumblings about how their life is somehow unfair. To be clear, what is "unfair" is living in desperate poverty on less than $1 a day. What is "unfair" is suffering at the hands of religious persecution in a country that won't allow you to worship the way you choose openly. What is "unfair" is living in constant fear because the region of the world in which you live, is constantly at war and in chaos. What my kids are forced to endure from the comfort of their suburban bubble is far from unfair. They are blessed beyond measure. My initial frustration with them and their grumblings, inevitably ends in a frustration with myself. I have a duty to teach them, to guide them, to shape ...

The lines at Disney have nothing on the beer line at an Irish festival. The crowd we were a part of, was purportedly the largest in the somewhat short history of the downtown festival. Bagpipes played loudly under one tent, while the smell of traditional Irish food from another tent blew through the air so thick, it was almost visible to the naked eye. I was in attendance that Saturday night to watch a very special dancer take the stage after the "pipers" were finished. While most little girls take ballet, tap, or classical dance, my daughter, Mallory, chose Irish dancing. Irish dancing is unique and its beautiful, just like my daughter. Mallory is bold and she's brave and dancing in front of a huge crowd of strangers never phases her. As a father, she makes me so very proud. As I was standing in the crowd waiting for Mallory's group to dance, I noticed a few nuns and a priest from the Catholic church that hosted the festival, walking through the crowd. The nun...

Cars driving by started taking notice of the young man working on the abandoned house. The house had set broken, ugly, and abandoned in the neighborhood for as long as most could remember. Despite the steal of a price, even the enthusiastic young man would admit it was quite the project. For a younger man, the price point was attractive and it gave some room in the budget to make improvements. To everyone else that passed the house and took a snap assessment, this place was a dump, a dilapidated old house, not worthy of repair. To most it was void of any sort of beauty, wonder, or redeeming qualities. One day, as the less than skilled young man was struggling through his chore of painting the outside of the house, a kind older gentleman walked up to the foot of the ladder. "Boy, this place is going to be beautiful." Not seeing the older man walk up, the younger man steadied himself on the ladde...