Five-Dollar Words At A Deep Discount

by Kevin Burton    Some lamps that my mother has and loves, I don’t like. I think they’re ugly.    For years my insult of choice was to call them “obtuse.”  But I was using that word incorrectly.    My good buddies at Merriam-Webster say obtuse means: “not pointed or acute” or “ of an …

Prevailing Prayer Is Free, But It Will Cost You

by Dane Massey      (Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)      Matthew Henry said, “When God intends great mercy for His people, He sets them a-praying.”     Indeed, when God wants anything accomplished in His kingdom, He moves men to pray. God is …

Noisy Cauliflower, A Growing Concern?

by Kevin Burton    Certain food just calls out my name. Pizza comes to mind. Know what I mean?    And it doesn’t have to shout either. I am listening for its call on Friday nights, really most nights.    I haven’t heard too much from cauliflower though. But last week I learned I should …

Mesquite, Chipotle And More Aztec Words

by Kevin Burton    Most of the English words borrowed from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, have ended up on our dinner plates.    The “tl” consonant cluster common in that language is a mouthful for English speakers, but judging from these words, what a tasty mouthful!    We started our Nahuatl feast Friday, …

“Memphis” And The Poetry Of Chuck Berry

by Kevin Burton    You knew any rock and roll road trip would have to stop by Memphis, right?  Well, we are using a Chuck Berry vehicle to get there.    We’re going Coast to Coast this summer, talking rock and roll history by means of songs with a state or city in the title. …

Childfree By Choice: No Kids, No Regrets

by Kevin Burton    When Mrs. Groves went around the room asking us fifth graders how many children we wanted to have when we grew up, my answer was two, three or at the most four. This was part of sex education class.    Well, you really shouldn’t hold a person to anything they say …

The Discipline Of Prayer Is The Hardest

by Dane Massey    (Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)      Spent this week thinking on fervent, earnest, effectual, prevailing, passionate prayer.  It has taken God forty-some years, three godly women who are now with Him, and adversities without number to develop in …

Good News From the Math Classroom

by Kevin Burton    Today on Page 7 we do the math.    I found two math-related stories on the Good News Network. The first shows that students did better in math when music is incorporated into the lessons.    “A new study explored the causal role that music engagement has on student achievement in …

Chocolate And More Words From The Aztecs

by Kevin Burton    If you have an appetite for words and/or dinner and dessert, you’re in the right place.    One of the recent Words at Play columns from Merriam-Webster featured words from the Aztecs, who lived in central Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest.     The language they spoke (and about …

It’s All About The Cats At A Cat Café

by Kevin Burton    This is a fun story, filled with cute kitties, but with a serious bummer at the end.    On the first part of our June vacation, we came across Papa’s Cat Café in Columbia, Missouri.  It was easily the most interesting tourist attraction we read about it mid-Missouri.    I thought …