Finding Home

Halloween: Trick or Treat or Abstain?

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:33:57 GMT

Fans of comedian Jerry Seinfeld might remember his humorous recollection of Halloween. Growing up in Massapequa, Long Island, he remembers being admonished to never accept candy from a stranger. Although contrary to the “Get candy! Get

Discovering the Difference between Sorrow and Despair

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:33:50 GMT

Is there anything more painful to endure than the death of a child? Having been orphaned and abandoned as a young boy, I’ve been exposed to my share of sorrow. But, so have you. Nobody on earth can escape the human condition.

Don’t Go Easy On Trent!

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:02:28 GMT

Last Tuesday, Jean and I attended a special dinner engagement here in Colorado Springs. It was one of those gala events that required us to leave our boys with a sitter for the evening. Like most parents, we have a touch of apprehension about leaving

Sharpening My Saw

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:02:12 GMT

Have you heard the story about Luther and Jerry? As the story goes, these two good old boys had a major disagreement which they couldn’t resolve. They figured the best way to settle the dispute was with a chainsaw—the winner would be

The Top 5 Ingredients of a Great Marriage

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:35:12 GMT

Ask a hundred people, “How do you make a great banana split?” and they’d probably list the same core ingredients—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream nestled between the two halves of a banana, drizzled with chocolate

A Swing in the Favor of Life

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:18:49 GMT

There was some new research out last week that is good news for those committed to the preservation of life. According to the Pew Research Center, Americans are now evenly divided on whether or not abortion should be legal “in all or most

A High School Flashback

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:48:33 GMT

Several months ago, Jeff Shook, a good friend from my Yucca Valley High School days back in California, stopped by for a visit. Seeing him brought back a flood of memories—mostly good. The good times had to do with the countless hours Jeff and I

Two Tributes to Dr. James Dobson

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:52:02 GMT

Many of you are familiar with the excellent work of Michael Farris and the Home School Legal Defense Association [HSLDA]. Back in March of 1983 when Michael and his colleague, Michael Smith, founded the fledgling organization, homeschooling was pretty

Baby Talk

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:41:47 GMT

Boomers and fans of the classic 1970’s television family sitcom, The Brady Bunch , might still laugh at memories of the show’s corny but wholesome themes. In one particular episode, a pig-tailed Cindy, lisping because of a lost tooth, is

Screwtape and the Art of War

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:41:16 GMT

The Art of War is considered by many to be the seminal work on war tactics and strategies. Attributed to Sun Tzu, a sixth century BC military commander, this ancient Chinese military treatise divides the various aspects of warfare into thirteen

Me, Mentor?

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:55:08 GMT

Statistics rarely move me on an emotional level. That’s probably because analyzing numbers and quantifying data with percentages is a “left brain” function. By contrast, the right hemisphere is where my emotions and my heart are more

Four Words to Financial Freedom

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:01:29 GMT

The other day a friend—I’ll call him Bill—was telling me about the car he almost bought. Bill’s current ride is twelve years old. To put that into perspective, Bill pointed out he purchased the car three presidents ago

What if Jesus Never Lived?

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:28:38 GMT

What would life be like today if Jesus never lived? For a moment, let’s set aside the implications of eternity and consider the impact that the life of Jesus has had—and continues to have—here on Earth. Several obvious things

A Conversation with an Atheist

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:28:27 GMT

Comedian and illusionist Penn Jillette amazes audiences with his slight of hand tricks and such routines as the “Magic Bullet.” For more than a decade, he’s worked his magic six nights a week in Las Vegas with fellow magician Teller.

Thank You, Lenny!

community@focusonlinecommunities.com — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:29:06 GMT

Everyone I meet has a story to tell. Each of us has an unique background; no two journeys are alike. Some of our stories rival a fairytale. If that’s your experience, rejoice. If your story involves a closely-knit extended family, the kind which,