“Then he taught me, and he said to me, ‘Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over […]
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” – Proverbs 27:6 (ESV) The story I’m about to tell you is true. While I am not particularly proud of certain aspects of this story, I think it has a happy enough ending, as well as a useful moral, so I’m […]
“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” – Proverbs 17:27 (ESV) With Thanksgiving this week, I am seeing articles and hearing reports unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Families are dividing, disowning, and disinviting over political differences. Ridiculous! Before we take a long-overdue visit to […]
“Rest and be thankful.” ― William Wordsworth First, I want to thank all of you who read these words of mine — and the thoughts that inspire them. And I want to welcome you to the third year of Ontozoan — One Real Life. As some of you may know, I took a three-month hiatus […]
Here’s a trip back to the poetry corner. If you’re discouraged about the kind of work that’s available to you currently, you might find this helpful. Here’s cowboy poet Red Steagall: The Fence That Me and Shorty Built We’d picked up all the fencing tools And staples off the road An extra roll of “bob” […]
“A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on” — Proverbs 16:26 (ESV) If you follow current events, you know the economic news is mixed. On one hand, the price of crude oil has dropped to its lowest in a decade or more, making a gallon of gas much more affordable. On the other […]
“Thank you, the phrase, ‘the greatest thing since sliced bread,’ for making me seriously wonder who’s in charge of deciding what the greatest thing is.” – Jimmy Fallon I’m sure you received a lot of nice gifts for Christmas this year. If you want to stand out as a man — to be the best version of yourself possible — take the time […]
Merry Christmas! While we celebrate the incarnation of Christ Jesus, I want to ask you to consider the example of a man who was indispensable to the Christmas story — Joseph the carpenter. Meet Joseph When we first meet Joseph in the Bible, he is defined in terms of his relationships — as the […]
“Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.” […]
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela It’s an interesting week to consider today’s topic. Last Sunday was the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, and […]
