4-Corners Blog

I met Andrew on the streets of Portsmouth. He set up shop outside the Starbucks on Market Square, selling walking sticks he crafted from fallen tree limbs. Homeless since being released from prison, he was surprisingly open and upbeat about his future. “I’m trying to...

Before I ever cared about Good Friday, I valued it. We got out of school early! Those days are gone, except for religious schools, some public schools and universities and, believe it or not, the Stock Market! A few states, Tennessee, Connecticut among them, declare...

This is the season for religion, Palm Sunday then Good Friday, then Easter.  Let's see how you do on this Religion Quiz (no pressure, I scored pretty low). To redeem myself (no pun intended), I thought it would be good to reflect on this thing we call “religion.” It...

“To err is human. To forgive is divine.” Thank you Alexander Pope for reminding us that forgiveness is impossible without God’s help. Actually the famous quote comes from a really long poem that is really not a poem at all. It’s the Essay on Criticism (bet you won’t...

Sometimes you realize that two very different things aren't really different at all. Like parenting and pizza. While sitting in my living room feasting on a slice from a shop we’d never tried before, I received this little video from my daughter....

My inspiration this week came from my daughter, Elisabeth, and her 11-month old daughter, Kinsley. She posted a picture of one of her feeding frenzies, her face covered in butternut squash with a wide toothless grin (you can barely make out the ones pushing through)....

It's Monday again and, even though I'm taking a break from my regular posts, I just wanted you to know I'm not a slacker. I'm keeping busy. Marriage is a wonderful thing. In a culture that increasingly rejects tradition, it stands as a stake in the ground for...

It's appropriate that my final post should be about God's revelation in the person of Christ, what we call, "Christmas." Christmas is special, not only for the lights and festive foods but because it was revealed to us. A little theology is in order here. The Bible...

The three Wise Men came to worship the baby Jesus, at least that's what the carol says. The mysterious star that guided them tells us more. Speaking of which, are you looking for that special Christmas gift for the one who has everything? How about a star? You can’t...

Our little nativity set at home is a far cry from the events at Bethlehem. Our 10 month old granddaughter enjoys teething on Mary and taking the animals to her Fisher Price barn. That OK with me because I know that in the years to come she will learn that there was a...

I showed such restraint this year. I waited two days after Thanksgiving to cut down a Christmas tree! It is all trimmed and accessorized with snow globes, stockings and lots of lights in our living room that now has morphed into the “Christmas Room.” Scatter the...

This is Thanksgiving week, and there’s more to the holiday than you know. You know about the pilgrims, the Indians, the cold winter and the corn. And then there are the things you think you know but are popular myths. What you probably don’t know is that the very...

Being thankful is like working out. It doesn’t just happen. You need to will it, to work at it; to get up each morning and say the words, “Thank you,” even though sometimes it’s just lip service. I’m one of those people who begins listening to Christmas music in...

I offer these tips for civil discourse better late than never. But whether you’re political or not, these commandments will help you lower the heat on conversations with people who don’t share your views. They don’t always work though. Recently at our men’s breakfast,...

There’s a difference between your job and your work. Yeah, yeah, I know, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” But most of us don’t get to do that. The next best thing is realizing that your job is not the only work you do. Being enslaved by...