Now The Dictionary Is Speaking My Language

by Kevin Burton    At one of my newspaper stops I was introduced to readers as speaking “fluent Spanish” That wasn’t, and isn’t, quite true.    But I do speak some Spanish and it has done me some good over the years.    How much Spanish do I speak? I once described it as “enough …

Awake Or Asleep, Your Brain Is In Motion

by Dictionary Scoop    Your brain controls everything from your thoughts to your emotions and even processes information at lightning speed. But how much do you really know about it?    Some long-believed myths about the brain have been debunked, while other surprising facts reveal just how incredible this organ truly is. Get ready to …

Good News For The Very Old And Very Young

by Kevin Burton    Today’s smiles from the Good News Network take us from Japan to Iowa, from senior years to the cradle, from life to give to life to live.    First, a story by Andy Corbley about older Japanese women, making a joyful contribution to society as a whole and to real people …

Things Get Better With Age, If You Let Them

By Hannah Singleton National Geographic      While aging is often portrayed as a slow decline, scientists say that view overlooks the bigger picture.    “Everyone talks about aging as this decline,” said Michelle Feng, chief clinical officer at Executive Mental Health and a licensed psychologist who specializes in geriatric psychology and medicine. “But aging …

Lean, Pray, Trust, Love, Just A Little Bit More

by Kevin Burton    I needed this today and I thought some of you might need it too.    This message is written on a 4-by-7 sheet of paper, not attached to anything else. I have it because I have helped my mother move three times in the last seven or eight years. Mom downsized …

Where Your Favorite Cheeses Come From

by Dictionary Scoop     Whether you’re a cheese expert or just enjoy a good slice on your sandwich, you’ll enjoy this flavorful ride.    There are fascinating stories behind the cheeses we eat every day. So, let’s take a trip around the world—one cheesy stop at a time—and explore ten places that gave these famous …

Aging, Decay And Death: Part Of God’s Plan

by Dane Massey    (Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)         Growing old and the natural end of that, death, cannot be avoided. So how does one age properly?     What is the Lord trying to accomplish through this drawn-out process?  …

Mark Twain And Hannibal To The Rescue

by Kevin Burton    Thirty-six little hours before we were to set sail for Memphis, my wife Jeannette checked the weather.    And we never set sail for Memphis.    The National Weather Service had issued a flood warning covering Memphis at exactly the same time we had planned to hit town. That sort of …

Here’s Some Much-Needed Comic Relief

by Dictionary Scoop    Charlie Chaplin once said that a day without laughter is a wasted day, and we couldn’t agree more. In a world where humor is often overshadowed by seriousness, people with the ability to laugh at themselves and the silliness of life are like a refreshing breeze on a hot summer day. …

Hot Geographical News About Jalapeños

by Kevin Burton    I am a proud, practicing pepperhead. Some like it hot, I like it hotter.    I go to a restaurant and look for that little flame icon next to the entrées, to know which ones might contain a little heat. That search though is sometimes unrewarded.    I’ve (mostly) stopped ordering …