I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. ~ Booker T. Washington Fear of something is at the root of hate for others and hate within will eventually destroy the hater. ~ George Washington Carver In time we hate that which we often fear. ~ William Shakespeare Without question, our [...]
Author: Bill Bentley
I am a husband, father of two grown daughters, owner of a dog named Bocce, Christ-follower, school psychologist, writer, and avid reader.
A Calm From the Storm: In Praise of Personal Retreats
To the desert go prophets and hermits, through deserts go pilgrims and exiles. Here the leaders of the great religions have sought the therapeutic and spiritual values of retreat, not to escape but to find reality. ~ Paul Shepard This cabin, Mary, in my sight appears,Built as it has been in our waning years,A rest [...]
Easter: Not Just Another Holiday
It’s painfully clear that the Resurrection is either the whole hope of the world—the very center of reality—or Christianity is not worth our time. ~ Tish Harrison Warren “If it’s just a symbol, then to hell with it.” These were the words of Catholic novelist Flannery O’Connor when a non-Catholic party host suggested that the [...]
On Being and Becoming (A New You Moving Forward)
Let today be the day you give up who you've been for who you can become. ~ Hal Elrod By now, January 10th has come and gone. What’s so special about that date? Known as Quitters Day, it refers to the day that many people on average give up their new year’s resolutions to lose [...]
A Christmas Without Christmas
“Whatever you may believe about it, the birth of Jesus was so important that it split history into two parts. Everything that has ever happened on this planet falls into a category of before Christ or after Christ.” Philip Yancey In the popular Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, the main character George Bailey attempts [...]
Thanksgiving: More Than Food and Football
"What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?" “The average time for eating a Thanksgiving dinner is 12 minutes, which, incidentally, coincides with halftime.” ~ Erma Bombeck Our country is one of the [...]
Rx: Go Take a Hike (no, literally!)
The mountains are calling and I must go. ~ John Muir I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~ John Burroughs In a recent article in the Cincinnati Enquirer (Doctors Prescribe Walks, 09/02/2024), a program new to the area calls for local doctors to write [...]
Now That’s Funny!
From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere. — Dr. Seuss Humor is mankind's greatest blessing. — Mark Twain What is it about laughing that feels so good? I’m reminded of the scene in the movie Mary Poppins in which Bert (played by Dick Van Dyke) is laughing uncontrollably with Uncle [...]
Truth Be Told . . . (The Truth of Easter)
“The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing and should therefore be treated with great caution.”― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.”― Flannery O'Connor In our current culture and for decades now, truth has become an unreliable commodity. We have safeguards [...]
Make Leap Day a Reap Day
Every leap year I like to jump. It’s a good way to get my daily exercise in every four years. — Jarod Kintz As it turns out, Punxsutawney Phil, the weather forecasting groundhog, did not see his shadow earlier this month and so, we are expecting an early spring. But since he’s only correct about [...]
Grace Notes 