By DANNY MINTON Chalaza: It’s the Greek word translated as “hailstone.” We’ve all seen one, and we could guess how it gets its name by how it looks. But the only time we’ve ever seen it is in its destroyed state. We see it only after its intended purpose remains marred by tragedy. Want to see one? Go open your

By DANNY MINTON The sea’s gentle swells glistened momentarily, then once again fell dark as the moon appeared from behind the clouds and returned to darkness. The clock had just passed midnight breaking into a new day. It was July 30, 1945. Several hundred miles from the nearest shore in the Philippine Sea, the Portland Class Heavy Cruiser, the USS

By DANNY MINTON In the movie “City Slickers,” Mitch, a city boy, has a conversation with Curly, a rough-looking cowboy. The conversation goes: Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? Curly: [holds up one finger] This.Mitch: Your finger?Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that, and the rest don’t mean nothin’.Mitch: But, what is the “one

By DANNY MINTON Look at the picture above. What do you see? Everyone will probably describe the picture in the same way. It’s a watermelon. It’s a green watermelon with stripes. It’s a short, squatty watermelon. There are numerous ways to describe the picture. Look closer. I mean closer with a more discerning eye. Do you see it now? A

By DANNY MINTON Holidays when I attended elementary school in 1950’s Plano always brought a festive time. The Halloween carnival had each classroom decorated differently with a different game inviting you to participate. At Christmas, we drew names and exchanged gifts with classmates. I remember Easter and an egg hunt at the Haggard farm. However, it was Valentine’s Day that

By DANNY MINTON One of my favorite stories from the Old Testament centers around the Exodus. Numerous lessons come from Moses’ life and his encounters with God, the Pharaoh, and the people in the wilderness. If you remember, God sent Moses to Pharaoh with the request to let the people leave Egypt. Pharaoh proved to be stubborn, or as the

By DANNY MINTON You’ll see it pop up everywhere. It’s on the news every evening and regularly listed in the newspaper. You’ll find it online daily. Press conferences boldly announce the numbers. What is it? It’s the death toll from the COVID-19 virus. The last time I remember seeing a death toll announced daily was during the Vietnam war years.

By DANNY MINTON Leaning on the bookcase next to my desk stands a Ted Williams #1725 Little League Approved Sears, Roebuck, and Co. 29-inch wooden ash baseball bat. I picked it up at an antique store a few years ago for $20. It’s worth more than what I paid, but that’s not the reason that I purchased it. The bat