: About Me

I am a husband of more than 40 years, the father of three daughters, and the grandfather of three grandchildren. My eldest grandchild, Alexis, died at age 11 of Cystic Fibrosis. When I pray at the end of the day, I thank God for her life and the joy she brought to me and to our family. My decision to retire when I did gave me the last two years of her life with her, and that's irreplaceable.

Writing is something I have always enjoyed, but never so much as I have since I discovered Helium. It fascinates me no end that there is a website where articles can be written and topics discussed on "hot button" subjects, and the tone still remain civil and respectful.

Ending in 1992, I edited a four page newsletter for 12 years. That means I got to do most of the writing, all of the editing, run the copy to the typesetter, go back to proof the galleys, go back again to pick up the finished product, run it to the printer, go back again to pick up the newsletters, apply the mailing labels, presort to prepare the bundles for mailing, and run them to the post office. I like Helium's method better; Write. Click. Computer does the rest.

Isn't progress wonderful?

My passion is ...

My Lord and my writing, hopefully together in that order.

I know too much about ...

You can't know too much if it's something really worth knowing.

My parents always told me ...

Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die to get there!

My childhood ambition ...

To write.

My favorite memory ...

A 2006 visit to Disney World that became our family's best vacation ever.

Why I write ...

Because I really love to do it, and now I have some time.

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Mostly I'm watching the the blank computer screen, which has replaced the blank paper in my typewriter.

My first job ...

Newspaper carrier

My best moment ...

Too many to choose; hopefully many more to come.

My inspiration ...

Alexis, who brought so much sunlight into so many lives in such a short time.

Religion & Spirituality > Speculations & Criticisms Origins of religion

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When we look at this subject, it is too often from an elitist and chauvinistic viewpoint. We peer into the mists of ancient times and assume  we can figure it all out. Maybe we can’t. Modern ideas of religious origins range from the far extreme of alien meddling, with its imagined human worship of creatures in shiny suits, to the more common idea that those ignorant savages who preceded us invented gods and other beings to explain what they couldn’t understand. And in between - well, multiple other concepts wormed their way into...

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Writing:

• Marketplace Premier Writer
• Marketplace Approved Writer
• Helium Charter Member