By DANNY MINTON “Tomorrow morning,” the surgeon began, “I’ll open up your heart …”  “You’ll find Jesus there,” the boy interrupted. The surgeon looked up, annoyed. “I’ll cut your heart open,” he continued, “to see how much damage has been done …” “But when you open my heart, you’ll find Jesus there.” The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat

By DANNY MINTON In the movie “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tevya and Golde have been married for 25 years and have the following conversation after learning their daughter was marrying for love. Tevye: It’s a new world. A new world. Love. Golde, do you love me?Golde: Do I what? Tevye: Do you love me?Golde: Do I love you? With our

By DANNY MINTON Once upon a time, there lived a man who wanted a lemon tree. He loved the smell of the tree blossoms, the scent of lemons, and the taste of a cold glass of lemonade. He decided that he had to have his own trees, so he traveled to the local nursery and picked out two young trees.

By DANNY MINTON I once heard the fable of an eagle who was envious of another larger eagle who could fly much higher than he could. The only way to be the best eagle again was to have the larger eagle killed. So, one day, the eagle went to a bow hunter and showed him the grand prize he could

By DANNY MINTON A discolored sheet dated fifty-seven years ago lay in a desk drawer atop some papers. In bold letters, the heading read, “Selective Service System: NOTICE TO RESISTANT TO APPEAR FOR MEDICAL INTERVIEW.” The first line proclaimed, “You are hereby directed to report for a medical interview at the place and time designated below. Failure to comply with

By DANNY MINTON One afternoon I called the phone company to check on an issue with my bill. It was about a quarter before 5:00 when I called and was put on hold by their computer. The wait was to be several minutes, and intertwined with the music was an occasional “We’re sorry for your wait. Someone will be with

By DANNY MINTON A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a minister from another church background different from mine. He was twenty-five to thirty years younger than me and had been in ministry for twenty years. He told me he was considering quitting the full-time ministry and thought about doing something else. I asked him what was causing

By DANNY MINTON If you’ve ever sent your kids off to summer camp, you know the apprehension of releasing them to be on their own that first time. I remember the story of a mother who sent her daughter, Janie, off to camp for the first time, and after the return home, she complained to the mother of her daughter’s

By DANNY MINTON “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who in this land is fairest of all?”  The picture of the queen standing before the mirror each morning asking the question was the beginning subject of the Grimm’s brother’s fairy tale, “Little Snow White.” Each morning the “proud and arrogant” queen would summon her “Magic Mirror,” asking the same question, waiting