Sterling Griggs

My neighbor's dog can be pretty frightening creature.  It is part pit bull, part hell on earth, and while it is normally tethered to a tree in the front yard its leash allows it to patrol right up to the corner of the yard  I haven't personally witnessed its semi-attacks on people walking by nor did I see my other neighbor hit it with a bat as it tried to jump on her son, but this dog has a bit of a reputation.  While I actually feel a little sorry for the dog because it stays tied up in the yard 24/7, I am grateful that it is not allowed to run free to reek havoc over the 'hood. Today, however, it was not restrained.  This morning I woke a little bit early to go on a jog and, as my path would take me, the little house on the corner sat at the last turn before the homestretch. My imagination instantly kicked into overdrive regarding this dog.  Was he chained up this morning or maybe inside the house?  I had to make sure that I ran on the opposite side of ...

I'm not sure if it's a product of hitting my 40's or not, but I find that I am more drawn back to "the way things used to be" than ever before.  It's funny how I can tell stories to my kids and my students of how we didn't have computers, satellite TV, or cell phones when I was a kid.  A text was a book that we read.  The Atari entertainment system was brand new and so limited in what games you could play that boredom set in rather quickly.  My brothers and I spent our summer days outside with our friends and we only came home when we heard our mother calling us.  Sure, I liked to watch TV, but I don't recall being camped out all day in front of it much like kids camp out in front of TV and computer screens today.  Every paper that I wrote in college and most of graduate school was banged out on an electric typewriter. Man, this makes me sound old. But as you read this don't think that I am slowly evolving into one of those grumpy old guys who ...

I love beach time. All the stress of getting packed, trying to tie up any loose ends before you leave, and the travel time with a van full of kids immediately melts when I see that water. Many people out there are mountain people or they prefer the lake or even winter time over a trip to the beach in the summer, but I honestly don't know how that can be. When God separated the water from the land, He saved the absolute best for the coast. Regardless of your favorite place to vacation and get away to, I hope that you make time to do just that - get away for a little while. Time away from the normal and often hectic routines are what refreshes the heart and mind and cleanses the soul. God rested after the sixth day of creation, not because He was tired but because He willfully chose to step back and take the time to do so. We as humans, in our limited nature and feeble efforts to pursue God, certainly should follow His example and take periodic breaks from the craziness that we fi...

My son just finished up a week of Vacation Bible School class that so far has been the highlight of his year. He would fuss at my wife and I if we arrived too early to pick him up because, according to him, missing the full amount of "circle time" at the end was unacceptable. On one of the last days of VBS my wife arrived to pick him up and, before he came to the door to the leave, one of the teachers informed my wife that when our son realized it was time to leave he exclaimed loudly, "Dangit!" She actually joked with my wife about that but it struck home to both of us that we don't want our son expressing such words. And where did he learn such a word? From me, that's where. It's no secret that kids are sponges who soak up whatever they experience in their environment. I may not be able to successfully lead my youngest in potty training and the fact that my kids can't seem to remember to pick up their clothes and toys typically frustrates the s...