A Heartwarming Family Fantasy Football Story

by Kevin Burton    I am 6 feet, 1½ inches tall. My wife Jeannette is only 5’4”. But I bet you five dollars we see eye to eye!    How do I know this? I let her know recently that my brother has a whopping eleven fantasy football teams. This knowledge floated for a time, …

The Power To Make Someone’s Day

by Kevin Burton    You have a superpower that you might not know about; the power to make another person glow.    So says a “happiness expert” quoted on CNBC.    Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy, writes that using nine phrases will instantly brighten someone’s day. She says we underestimate how happy someone …

When Thumbs Up Doesn’t Come, Then What?

by Kevin Burton    When I was a sort of young beep baseball player, I had a team mate who always talked about heart guards.     Beep baseball is baseball for blind players. The ball is slightly bigger than a softball and depending on who made the ball, it can be quite hard.     When …

Christians Need A Zeal For Spiritual Children

by Kevin Burton    The kid thing, the desire to have and raise children, is something I never, never got and don’t get.     So when we look into a demand by Rachel, wife of Jacob, in Genesis chapter 30, for me it’s a study in polar opposites.     “Give me children or else I …

Explosive Goods Under My Christmas Tree

by Kevin Burton    One of the Christmas gifts I was given this year by a family friend, came in a bag with a green and white label.  Ostensibly it’s a healthy snack.    I now wonder if this “gift” was in fact a hostile act. It’s suspicious anyway. I’ve been doing some research.    …

Rubber Bands, An Inelastic Purchase?

by Kevin Burton    It hurt my heart to do it, but I did it, last week. Something I thought I would never do.    Along with the eggs and bacon and paper plates, and the baking stuff my wife Jeannette got, I also, purchased, rubber bands.    Still can’t believe it. But there it …

Honoring The Musicians We Lost In 2022

by Kevin Burton   Toward the end of his life my father said it was strange getting old because many of his friends and relatives had died and he was left behind.   I understand where he was coming from. But I extend that to teachers and public figures.   Even though I don’t interact …

Musical Genius Thom Bell Dead At 79

by Kevin Burton    Just as Philly Soul is unfairly overshadowed by Motown and Stax, Thom Bell didn’t always get the credit he deserved.     The producer, arranger and songwriter died Dec. 22 at the age of 79.  I never heard his name mentioned in the 70s when I was soaking in his Sound of …

Have A Real Christmas My Friends

by Kevin Burton    Christmas is real. Always has been.     The Christmas they show you on the soft drink and credit card commercials, if that Christmas exists at all, it’s fleeting.     Christmas is a day we Christians set aside to remember and give thanks for the birth of Jesus. Imagine, God loving us …

Christmas Tree Is A Loving Family History

by Kevin Burton    By one measure it has been Christmas season for weeks now, but by another it hasn’t started yet.    I used to say it isn’t Christmas season until I have broken one of the glass Christmas tree ornaments.   At least twice before we were married, I came to Jeannette’s house to …