The arrival of the first robin. Crocuses bursting through the ground. The first daffodil. These are some of the signs of spring that bring relief to winter-weary people.

They are all exciting to see, but the one I love the most is the happy little daffodil.  For the past few years I have taken photos of my first daffodil bloom of the year and shared it online. (I can’t deny part of my motivation was to rub it in to my snow-bound friends and family in the north.)

There are people who remember every car they’ve ever owned. I’m not one of them. But I do remember my first vehicle. In fact, we still have it.

I know, the title of this article gives away the answer. And it wasn’t exactly mine. It was the family tractor, and it predates my birth.

Our Farmall C tractor is a late 40s, early 50s model. It’s had lots of repairs over the years, including some jerry-rigging, but she still runs, and I still love her. What do you think -- can get an inspirational message out of a tractor?

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I’ve spoken to several people this week that made me think about the decisions we make in life. We try to discourage our kids when they have friends who will be a bad influence on them. This may have been the time you saw the first sign of rebellion in them. They interpret our concern as an attempt to ruin their lives.

“I’ll just die if I don’t go to that party!”

But what about us adults? Is the company we keep as important to us? Let’s take a closer look.

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Have you ever told a funny story from your childhood, only to have your sister interrupt: “That’s not how it happened.” And she proceeds to retell the whole story, but you know she’s wrong and you’re right. And I know I’m not the only one who has walked into the kitchen and can’t remember what I wanted in there.

There are bad memories and good memories. There are holiday mishaps and family grievences. But what about false memories? Can you live a whole life remembering an incident only to find out it never happened? Read on to find out.

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What does the late 60s song "Age of Aquarius" have to do with Christmas? I provide a brief history of the #1 hit amidst a backdrop of the Vietnam War. Its call for peace and love and understanding still waits on an answer. That answer was given to us 2,000 years ago when God became man and was born in a manger in Bethlehem. The baby Jesus and what he would do as an adult is the only source of peace.for our lives.

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What do you do when you’re a writer and you have to make a blog post, but you can’t think of anything to write?

That’s not totally true. I started to write on two different topics, but just didn’t feel comfortable with how they turned out.

The first one started out as a follow-up to last week’s blog, “The Comfort Zone.” After writing that blog I realized that my description of how I learned to step out of my comfort zone sounded a lot like putting on an act. We’re supposed to be genuine, right? Authentic. Keepin’ it real. 

Somehow this line of thought brought me to two stories. One about a hypocrite and one about an angel.

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I’ve been wondering about something for quite some time. From the time I was a child I was shy. Socially awkward. Definitely not one of the “cool kids.” Yet my life has led me to a place where I have to speak to people I don’t know because in my professional life I’ve worked as a secretary and receptionist. I’ve had to speak in front of groups of people in the course of several volunteer positions I’ve been in. How does an introvert turn into an outgoing people person? Read on to find out.

Does God care about our little every day decisions? I had to wonder one day when I had a chance encounter with a homeless woman and was surprised that I was the one who received a blessing. This article was originally published in the Sunday School take-home paper Power for Living October6, 2019 under the title "Little Decisions." 

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“Don’t you know how inconvenient this is, Lord?”

The question summed up my feelings as I watched flames lick at the side of my house. The stark honesty of my question caught me by surprise. I wasn’t dealing with fear or anger or distress. I was irritated that my day had been interrupted by a lightning strike.

The article below was originally published in the Sunday School take-home paper, Seek, Sept. 9, 2001. Enjoy.

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Like most farmers, I have a lot of cow stories. In particular, “the cows are out” stories. Those words bring mixed emotions. On the one hand, our day is interrupted and the cows have to be dealt with. Cows don't like being dealt with. On the other hand, it was a nice break in the hum-drum day-to-day routine of farmlife. As a kid I enjoyed the adventure. You'll be seeing several of the memorable adventures of the Dwire farm, but here I'd like to focus on a couple of wanderers. Can steers on the lam teach us something about heeding God's call?

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I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!” In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. – Luke 15:7-10 (NASB)