Author: Jeff Mitchell

Good Will These two words put together speak of kind benevolence, favor, and a willing effort. It can be either a response to or an initiated act. However, separating these two words is when a reward can be expected. Good will come. In scripture, these two words are used hundreds of times because being good,…

Communication Breakdown This is the song by the rock band Led Zeppelin about a man who can’t put into words how he feels about a woman. Sound familiar? Every soul has experienced this dilemma in some form or another and at some time or another. Communication can be defined as the exchange of thoughts, messages,…

Little children Those two words evoke a number of images, don’t they? Little children can be innocent, loving, sweet, and kind. Some little children around 2 years young can be the opposite, but I digress. Little children are sponges to their surroundings, always listening, always watching what their mom and dad are doing. Little children…

You can’t do it Years ago, while a young boy grew up, life circumstances proved overwhelmingly difficult. A child of divorce made custody battles and emotionally charged visitations unbearable for a kid with no tools in the box to successfully manage. Blaming himself for things for which he had no control over became the norm.…

Where did you get your information? In today’s world, we are each one inundated with a plethora of information. We have television, which is akin to a mankind demand of “tell-a-vision.” There’s also radio, words in print, and the internet. Of course, thank you, Alexander Graham Bell, for turning electricity into sound in 1875 and…

Gold Pursuits The “forty-niners,” as they were called, came from all over the world in search of the yellow-colored stone called gold. As few as two to a maximum of 250,000 people descended on central California from all over the world. The gold rush only lasted from 1848 to 1952. With over $2B in gold…

Discover Discover means to see something for the first time or to make known or visible, according to Merriam Webster. The truth be known, it is widely misused. I recall a “Seinfeld” episode where George Costanza is asked who his favorite explorer is, and he replies with DeSoto because he discovered the Mississippi River. Jerry…

Received When someone has the desire to bestow a gift upon you, what do you say? What do you do? Most folks will say, “No, thank you. You don’t have to do anything for me,” or, “Don’t bother yourself. It’s too much trouble. I’m okay.” They wave their hands or shake their heads signifying, no.…

Sons of disobedience While growing up, it seemed that I got spanked for just about everything, choosing poorly in language, behavior, and deed. I heard, “Wait until your father gets home,” far too often! I can’t say that at times, the spankings weren’t warranted, but looking back, some were not and seemed severe for the…

On the surface Have you ever seen a planet through a telescope? It is incredibly amazing because we are seeing God’s creation on yet another level. When I was a boy, I looked through a telescope at Saturn. It was so brilliant and perfectly round with its rings encircling it. I recall in my mind,…