by Kevin Burton Contemporaries Ezra and Nehemiah were key figures in rebuilding the nation of Israel after Babylonian exile. I hope to hang out a bit with those boys this year. The Old Testament book of Ezra describes the rebuilding of the temple and Nehemiah the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. The …
Lakin Loves Boxes, Any Size, Anytime
by Kevin Burton We’ve got a cat fact today that is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, at least for our youngest cat. I’ve been piecing through a Good Housekeeping article, “20 Surprising Cat Facts You’ve Never Heard,” presenting the facts and responding to them. “How well do …
Road Dogs’ Story Ends In Fantasy Glory
by Kevin Burton I was distraught, or as we say in the biz, tilted. Spoiler alert: Colby Parkinson saved me. And so, in the aftermath the end of the fantasy football season, I am contented, with three championships to show for my efforts (out of eight leagues), having played “Celebration” by Kool …
Push Past Failure, Try, Try Again In 2026
by Dictionary Scoop Truman Capote once said, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” In the same vein, Benjamin Franklin claimed: “He that can have patience can have what he will.” Patience and perseverance are fundamental when it comes to conquering the anguish of things not going as planned. Numerous scientists, inventors, …
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Fun Idioms That Make Every Second Count
by Dictionary Scoop When a new year arrives, we focus on time. And because time plays such a central role in our lives, it’s no surprise that it’s also a key part of our everyday language. Today we’re exploring the origins and meanings of ten time-related idioms you’ve probably never stopped to think about. 1-A …
Walk The Walk, Be A Doer Of God’s Work
by Kevin Burton I hope you make a point of attending a church that preaches the true gospel message, and I hope that message sinks in. A good preacher will engage the audience and could be said to be entertaining. But God’s word is not given out for entertainment purposes. A good …
A Pack Of Good And Quirky Words To Learn
by Kevin Burton Getting these word-list e-mails from Dictionary Scoop is a little like it was to open a new pack of baseball cards in the old days. You might get Gary Sutherland, you might get Johnny Bench. In fact you always got a mixture of stars and scrubs. Today’s list of …
Nine Fishy Words From A Long, Fishy Book
by Kevin Burton I hear it’s a whale of a book, but I haven’t read it. So sorry. Moby-Dick This comes up because our friends at Merriam-Webster dictionary have compiled a list of nine fun and weird words from Moby-Dick. I hear the book is very long also. So the dictionary …
Two Eternal Questions On Christmas Eve
by Kevin Burton You can say Jesus is the “reason for the season” if you want. That’s not wrong. But that’s not all. “The season,” ostensibly one to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, has long since been transformed into a time of greed and covetousness. I won’t be climbing on that soap …
Christmas Miracle For Girl With Leukemia
by Good News Network Christmas 2025 is better and brighter for one family whose daughter is on the mend from a previously untreatable form of childhood cancer. Christmas 2024 saw then-5-year-old Bryn Ailinger isolated in a child cancer ward, having been diagnosed with precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia which harbored a rare and …
