She’s A Tattoo Artist, And She’s Legally Blind

by Kevin Burton    I should probably just be quiet. Been sitting on this story for a while. Should I do it?    For a while there I made a career out of advocating for the blind. I’ve made a lot of speeches, tried to talk sense into sighted hiring managers to give us blind …

Sometimes God Uses Turmoil For Our Growth

by Kevin Burton    My track coach Jim Rimmer was the first one I heard say “no pain, no gain.” I didn’t love hearing that then, but I knew he was right.    I knew I would be running past my comfort zone, until my ribs began to hurt, then keep going. But I knew …

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 …

How Deep Is Your Love?, Good Question

by Kevin Burton   My sister and I had one last shared musical moment, in the days before her death Aug. 25 of last year.    We had thousands of them over half a century together. What I wouldn’t give to have a few more of them now.    The final one came last August, …

Catsongs: Cat’s In The Cradle, Harry Chapin

by Kevin Burton    (Catsongs is a series on Page 7 to honor the memory of my late sister Pat by looking at our two shared passions, cats and music.)    For this series, I am featuring songs with cats in the title, or perhaps the lyrics. Unfortunately “Cat’s in the Cradle” is the obvious choice …

Your Final Triumph Is Sure As Present Trials

by Kevin Burton    If you have no trials, no hard times today, enjoy it in the moment, and more power to you!  But they are coming, book it.    Country singer Lynn Anderson said it this way: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden!”    Now Anderson wasn’t necessarily a …

Jesus Can Heal Your Hurt, Even Church Hurt

by Kevin Burton    I have a friend, more of a Facebook friend really, who I wish would read these words. Chances are, you know someone is her position.    The person I am thinking of could not be any more dynamic, energetic, positive, intelligent. Some people just have that charisma that makes them stand …

Love To You Who Are Grieving On Christmas

by Kevin Burton    It’s deeply upsetting to me that my mother was in a hospital, alone on Christmas Eve, in what could easily be her last Christmas season.    There isn’t a phone in her room and I don’t believe she grabbed her cell phone for an emergency trip to ER Monday night. So …

What Does Falling In Love Do To Your Body?

by Nicole Villeneuve interestingffacts.com   “The heart wants what it wants,” Emily Dickinson wrote. But as it turns out, falling in love actually has little to do with the heart.    Instead, the soaring feelings we experience have more to do with brain chemistry and our body’s response to the chemicals. While researchers are still working …

Happy Birthday Little Sister, I Love You

by Kevin Burton    There was a day in the 70s when my younger sister Patricia asked me a question. I knew the correct answer to the question, but I lied to her.    We were in the basement of our father’s house in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Nobody else was around.    “When am I …