Month: March 2023

Make Life Sweet! (Angel in the Kitchen)

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Hey, sugar! No, not you! We certainly hope you’re a sweet person, but today we’re referring to that granulated stuff on the kitchen counter: table sugar; brown sugar, confectioners sugar … shoog-er! (Ah, honey, honey!) Sugar is one of those things that make life more enjoyable. If you’ve had a hard day, there’s nothing quite like something sweet to bring a little cheer. And sugar manages to find itself in a variety of foods, including items you’d never suspect, such as canned green beans!

Sugar dates back to ancient times, but because it wasn’t always plentiful or affordable, most people sweetened with honey, instead. But now sugar is everywhere. In fact, the world produces over 200 million metric tons of sugar each year. And the average person consumes about 53 pounds (24 kilograms) of it annually. Face it, we prefer things in life to be sweet.

One morning we were about to have our extra-dark coffee, along with our daily time of praise and worship, and we got an eye-opening revelation: we forgot the sugar! We both took one sip of the brew and then made faces at each other. It was bitter as quinine! Not that either of us has ever tasted quinine, mind you, but it is a familiar expression. How can something so tasty WITH sugar be so horrible WITHOUT it? Now, we know some of you probably do like it black, but we prefer a teaspoon of sugar. Or honey. Or Splenda. Or Stevia. Or SOMETHING!


There’s a lot of truth to the song actress Julie Andrews sang in Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins: “Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down!” And ya know what? Love is the spiritual sugar of life! A little love can help us swallow even the most bitter pills of everyday existence. This is important to remember. If you’ve ever had to confront someone with the truth, then you probably know this. The unvarnished truth can be painful. Truth forces us to face facts … about ourselves and our choices. Truth — in essence, the Word of God — is like a brightly lit mirror that exposes all our flaws. And a little reassurance in the form of love makes facing the truth much easier to handle! That’s why the Bible commands us to “speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15)

Part of speaking the truth is sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. By all means, do this in love. After all, God is Love (1 John 4:7), and salvation is about His love for us. (John 3:16) We need to be able to communicate this love in our attitudes and actions, as well as in our words. As a matter of fact, everything we do — whether correcting a child or discussing a problem (or a controversial issue) with a spouse, friend, or coworker — should always be done in love. No matter how right you are, no matter how justified your actions, if you fail to respond in love, then you lose the “high ground”! Hence, there’s a good chance you’ll lose the “argument” — so to speak.

If you confront someone with the truth, but do it in anger, that person will mostly see only your anger. You may be right, but you get no points because you lost control. And if the other guy stays calm, guess who looks “wrong” in this situation? Of course, we should never approach sharing truth as an opportunity to be right. Getting out the truth isn’t about “Aha, I’m right and you’re wrong!” That’s PRIDE! God wants us to share the truth in LOVE — not pride. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2 NIV)

So, walk in love — and humility. As the old saying goes: “You can attract more bees with honey than with vinegar.” Love will win people over, not anger or arrogance. Be a sweet soul, not a bitter or sour one. Get God’s sugar — er, love — in your heart and life. “…Above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 King James 2000)

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A Writer’s Journey (Encouragement for Creators)

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“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning.”

John Wayne in Hondo

Louis Dearborn LaMoore, who wrote the above statement, was born in North Dakota on March 22, 1908, a time when the Great American West was beginning to fade into history. As a boy, Louis would talk to the cowboys who frequently traveled through his hometown, driving livestock to and from ranches in Montana. Louis often fantasized about the bygone days of the Wild West, played “Cowboys and Indians” in the family barn, and devoured scores of historical adventure novels.

Louis’ father was a farm veterinarian and politician who’d arrived in the Dakota Territory to make his fortune in 1882. But in the winter of 1923, following a series of bank failures that devastated the area’s economy, Dr. LaMoore headed South with his wife and seven children. During the next several years, the LaMoores worked the mines in Arizona, California and Nevada, baled hay in New Mexico, and skinned cattle in Texas. Along the way, Louis met dozens of fascinating people, from all walks of life, which would eventually inspire the colorful characters in his fiction.

LaMoore dreamed of being a writer. And although he initially found some success writing articles about his travels, his short stories were repeatedly rejected. LaMoore would eventually publish 105 books (89 novels, 14 short story collections and 2 works of non-fiction), but before then he had a long ways to travel.

LaMoore took to the road. Along the way, he spent time as a mine assessment worker. He later became a professional boxer. And as a merchant seaman, he traveled the world, visiting England, Japan, China, Arabia, Egypt, and Panama. But he returned home in 1933, settled in Oklahoma, changed his name to Louis L’Amour, and pursued his writing.

L’Amour mostly wrote novels about the Wild West, classics of the genre, many of which would be adapted for movies and television — including Hondo, starring John Wayne, and The Sacketts, starring Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott. But getting the first few published was laborious. LaMoore once wrote, “Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.”

Tom Selleck & Sam Elliott in The Sacketts

L’Amour slowing gained ground with American publishers, but the writer was extremely prolific and wrote more novels than he could place with the few major publishing houses. None of these companies were willing to publish more than two of his books a year — and L’Amour had already placed novels with several of them.

Bantam Books finally took a chance on Louis L’Amour, and contracted to publish all of the novelist’s works: past, present and yet to be written. And the publisher never had occasion to regret its agreement. L’Amour was a perennial gold mine for Bantam, ultimately selling over 320 million copies, and the publisher continues to keep the L’Amour Library in print.

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.  (Louis L’Amour)

A person’s gift opens doors for him, bringing him access to important people. (Proverbs 18:16 ISV)

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