…then get out of the kitchen. It’s a phrase intended to describe pressure, more specifically one’s inability to handle it. A fellow writer recommended a narrative book by journalist turned cook, Bill Buford entitled Heat: an Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany. If you love food and want to learn more about how your three star meal is prepared then you’ll enjoy every minute of this read. Continue Reading…
Social Media Experimentation
Change is something I look forward to – sometimes more than I should. One of my writer friends told me over lunch a few weeks ago that I was one of the few people he knew that seemed to enjoy reinventing himself. For a few seconds his comments took me by surprise, then after digesting what he said, I actually agreed with him. I’ve had to reinvent myself several times in my brief life and this time I know far more than I did the last time I went through such a transformation. Continue Reading…
Sights, Sounds and Smells
Yesterday the kids and me were riding through Westhaven, a neighborhood in Franklin to pick up our registration forms for the Race For The Cure 5k and fun run. Just as we opened our car doors, my son Roan made an interesting observation. “Daddy, the smell in the air reminds me of fall. It really smells good”. The day was gorgeous and void of clouds, with temperatures still hovering in the mid-eighties. With only three days to go before we usher in a new season, I want to soak up the last few hours of my favorite time of the year – summer. Continue Reading…
So Paul, where have you been lately?
That’s a fair question. If you’re a close friend or family member, you obviously know the answer, but for those of you who haven’t seen or heard from me in a while, let me bring you up to speed.
I’ve been living – and living for the past few months in one of the most peaceful communities in the south. To say the last year, or rather the last eighteen months have been eventful would be a bit of an understatement – yet for each stream that contains more than its share of twist and strong currents, there is always a little gold buried somewhere under one of her stones. Continue Reading…
The Road Less Traveled
We all have our favorite seasons and mine is definitely summer. Yes, the heat can be unbearable at times but since I despise cold weather so much, I dare not complain. I think summer teaches us how to handle the heat of life when it becomes unbearable. Sometimes you just need to grin and bear it. Like the changing of the seasons and the passing of time, the heat eventually subsides. Summer also brings our senses to life. I love the smell, taste and sounds of summer. Meat on a grill, the feeling of sun on my skin (yes, my doctor has told me to wear more sunscreen), the sound of kids chasing fire fly’s and of aluminum striking a baseball and my favorite of all, the smell of fresh cut grass. Continue Reading…
Tiger’s Fall and Rise
By Paul R. Stanley
Since November of last year, the saga of Tiger Woods marital infidelity has consumed the attention of a substantial percentage of Americans who yearn for the intimate details of his and Elin’s personal struggles. It all began on Thanksgiving night when Tiger crashed his SUV within the confines of his gated community. When the initial news reports surfaced some of us probably attributed the accident to opening that second bottle of white Burgundy at the dinner table. Overindulgence may have been the cause, but not of a fine and rare vintage of wine. Continue Reading…
Mission Possible…
This was my first mission trip. So many of my close friends have shared stories of their wonderful experiences from Africa, China, Mexico and other places where Christ love is so needed. One friend in particular was concerned about me making this trip. The past twelve months have been without question, the most difficult in my life. With having to deal with so much, they wanted to make sure I was going to be able to handle seeing the devastation I was about to encounter after dealing with so many devastating issues in my own life. I appreciated their concern; I knew it was genuine. However, I knew God had prepared me for this trip and I was anxious to go and help in whatever little way I could. Continue Reading…