A long time ago, in a galaxy far way, my parents loaded up the Helton family station wagon which, incidentally, bore a striking resemblance to Clark Griswold’s… Read more “The Funeral We Missed…but Shouldn’t Have”

When Jane Marczewski walked onto the stage of America’s Got Talent in June of last year, she didn’t exactly raise any alarm bells. My late dad would… Read more “Nightbirde: A Night & Day Difference”

In the fall of 1996, I showed up on the campus of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. I had a couple of suitcases, a… Read more “The Wisdom of Mordecai”

In 1980 I became an official fan of the Olympic games. The setting was Lake Placid, New York. Like most Americans, our home had been bombarded with… Read more “Olympic Hopefuls or Hope?”

I’m sometimes reluctant to talk about how much things have changed. Everyone says it and most are tired of hearing it. It’s a sure-fire way for a… Read more “Stuck in the Mud”

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all shed a few tears in our day. Tears come with a variety of adjectives around them. On occasion we… Read more “Bitter Tears”

I cruised along quite nicely through elementary school. Grades K-6 were only difficult in that I had to attend 3 different schools to pull off the feat.… Read more “MarksNotes: “Come and Go””

We might as well admit we often pull rank when it comes to addressing our sin. Even when we know something is flat-out wrong, we can find… Read more “God’s Take on a Little Sin”

At 52 years old, I no longer shock easily. Having seen and heard just about “everything,” it takes something from the rings of Saturn to stop me… Read more “An Honest Celebrity?”

Just a few weeks ago, I was confronted with one of those dates that’s more than a little difficult. September 8th was my dad’s birthday. He passed… Read more “My Misguided Parents”