Chapter 2 In the weeks that followed, Harold Happy frequently reflected on the lessons the angel had taught his family. There seemed to be a new air of genuine contentment in the household. And an air of peace, Harold thought, “Yes, peace that passes understanding.” The school year was drawing to a close. It was time to think about a summer vacation. That evening at dinner he brought the subject up to the family. “I put in for my vacation days today at work. It looks like we will have a full two weeks in early August. That will give […]

Chapter One This tale begins as many other famous cautionary tales do – “Once upon a time.” Once upon a time there was a very ordinary man who happened to go by the name Mr. Happy. Mr. Happy had a lovely wife and two exceptional children. His wife, unsurprisingly, was named Lovely, and his two children were Strong and Pretty, though everyone knew them by their nicknames Steve and Polly. As happens so often in these tales, Mr. Happy had an unexpected adventure one afternoon. He was driving home from work, minding his own business, when he came upon an […]

By Teri Ong The current big deal in our national church association is “planned giving.” I think that term might fit G. K. Chesterton’s profile of an “evil euphemism.” It amounts to giving to a financial institution now what you might have planned to still have left at the end of retirement (which is a euphemism for “when you die”). The program is being touted as a great boon to the church over the next decade as we oldsters leave the vale of tears, and leave behind what we can’t take with us. Money, especially lots of money, is a […]

By Teri Ong I admit it; I am a fan of several of the series on HGTV. On rare occasions when I have access to cable TV, I sometimes binge on Fixer Uppers and Love It or List It. What always amazes me is that the list of “must haves” from family to family is pretty much the same. Everyone has to have “open concept,” or “clear line of sight,” some kind of stone counter tops, “on trend” paint colors, hardwood flooring, and whatever type of “bling” is being advertised this month in lighting, accessories, hardware, etc. Everyone needs more […]

Yesterday (April 17) the normal activities of over a million people in Colorado were brought to a halt by the supposed threat of a potential “Columbine” atrocity near its twentieth anniversary. Media reports raised the panicked alarm that a young woman, who her friends said was obsessed with the history of the Columbine killers, had come from Florida to Colorado to act out her obsession. She had bought a pump-action shot gun and was possibly intent on doing harm at some high school in Colorado.  Supposedly, after she was tracked through Denver International Airport to a place where she was […]

by Teri Ong  The Greeley Tribune published a “Faith” column by Jeff Cook on February 10, 2019, called “Tribalism is the true enemy.” In his column he asserted that “There are two virtues at the heart of America and both are central to the priorities of God.” Cook chose freedom and justice as the two cardinal virtues.   He explained his view that our American two-party system keeps the two virtues in balance like the wings of an airplane. He wrote that the Republican party extols freedom “in matters of taxation, education, religious beliefs and unrestrained markets.” They exemplify the “freedom” wing of […]

by Teri Ong We have had several serious-minded discussions this summer with our millennial son about how “millennials” think and analyze the pop culture of the moment. This has been in the context of churches making choices to use certain styles and genres in the arts in order to “connect” with the millennial generation. This has been a topic of discussion because the association of churches that our church is part of has been grappling with the issue of “conservative” versus “contemporary” worship recently. Grappling with the issue now, however, feels likes swinging late at a ball that is already […]

By Teri Ong   Once upon a long ago, there was a dowdy scullery maid named Cinder-Teri. She was assigned to work in the kitchen in a beautiful kingdom called Camp-of-the-Woods. All in all, she was very happy there. The work was not unpleasant, and the kingdom was ruled by a wise and benevolent king and queen who loved and cared for all of their subjects.  The king and queen were the blessed parents of two handsome princes and two beautiful princesses. Many of the working lads and lasses in the kingdom of Camp-of-the-Woods aspired to be deemed worthy to be […]