Just-In-Time Delivery On a recent trip to one of the big chain stores, I was really annoyed that, for the second week in a row, their famous “just-in-time” delivery system failed. With all the bar codes, magnetic strips, QR codes, and all their ways of tracking what is bought and what needs to be restocked, … More Just-In-Time Delivery
Backdraft In the early 1990’s, the movie “Backdraft” portrayed the very real dangers that fire fighters face when fighting building fires. A fire will consume all of the oxygen in a room, and if more oxygen suddenly floods the area, perhaps from a window opening, the oxygen causes the fire to explode. Essentially, the new … More Backdraft
Used One of the most memorable scenes in the book, Tom Sawyer, is where he’s painting the fence. His friends walk up, and he brags about how much fun he’s having painting the fence. His friends start to ask for their turn, and for awhile, Tom just won’t give up painting. Then, he hooks them. … More Used
Pride A story was once told about one of the largest tankers on the ocean. The tanker detected a light in the distance and signaled to what appeared to be a smaller ship to change course. The signaling continued between them, but the tanker captain refused to change course, and the signal in the distance … More Pride
Backseat Drivers We had spent months planning our trip. Our hotel reservations had been made. The car was cleaned, full of gas, and all the luggage was loaded. We began to pick who would sit where. I was relieved to not be driving and selected a seat in the back of the car. We … More Backseat Drivers
Need A Guide? My drawer was stuck. It had been sticking and slipping to the side for a couple weeks. Even though I knew it wasn’t working right, I’d ignored it until it was completely broken. After some tugging, the drawer came open. That’s when I discovered that the track that guides the drawer was … More Need A Guide?
Who Are You? “Who are you?” That was the question of the day. We’d arrived at our family reunion, and as one who had lived away, I had not seen some in my extended family for many years. I don’t have any idea how many times I answered, and usually, it wasn’t enough. The second … More Who Are You?
Preparations Growing up in the South, I was accustomed to heat and humidity, lush vegetation and beautiful, tall trees that peppered the landscape, providing both shade and landmarks so as not to be lost. When evening came, the sunlight slowly faded to darkness that was salted with heavenly stars. When we moved to the desert … More Preparations
A Shout of Triumph Those who witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus saw His hours of agony and heard Him cry out from the cross in a loud voice, “It is Finished!” as He died. (John 19:30) Was His final words from the cross a painful defeat? Absolutely not! This was “A Shout of Triumph”. Jesus … More A Shout of Triumph
Hurry Up! Have you ever noticed how fast our days, months, and years seem to pass? Our lives seem to be busier now than they were in the years past. I was pondering this recently on a busy day. My to-do list seemed longer than the hours left in the day. I was on the … More Hurry Up!
