Latest Musings

Musings
Mark Eckel

Transitions at 67

The old paradigm is gone. It seems people no longer consider age a boundary marker. It used to be that “retirement” was regulated by years. Now we say, “Sixty is the new forty.” One student, who discovered my age, in an obvious lapse of decorum, intoned that I was “older than his parents.” Yeah. That

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Musings
Mark Eckel

Instant Eternal

The line Between Here and There Now and Then Does not exist In the way We think, Enamored, As we are, With what We think. Instead Of what He thinks. The Majesty Of the moment Is in every Clock’s tick Our opportunity Our responsibility Our urgency To live As if Tomorrow We die [We will]

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Musings
Mark Eckel

Don’t Ask and I Won’t Tell

“How ya’ doin’?” is the general way the question is asked. People who ask it fall into categories. Some mean, “Hi.” The question becomes an informal greeting. The person isn’t expecting you to answer. Others wonder, truly, about your well-being. The individual is expecting a reply akin to “Fine, thank you.” Their interest is intentional,

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Musings
Mark Eckel

5 Poems I Find Useful

My children dragged me kicking and screaming into poems and their poets in the 90’s. And I am ever thankful that they did. Now, I wonder if I could live without it, without expressing myself in it, without giving the poetry of Scripture its due. This week I discovered Marianne Moore, a modernist poet whose

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Musings
Mark Eckel

202*

202* Asterisk *stars* are used for emphasis instead of C*PITALIZING expunging the vowel in a prof*nity a symbol in c*lculation footn*tes in essays r*dialing the last call For all these reasons I will use the asterisk to mark This year. To expunge a day To multiply days To emphasize daily To footnote the date To

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Musings
Mark Eckel

Empty Chair

I sat on the deck Talking to him tonight Smoke and glass hand   Telling him how much I miss him On this earth with me   Ahead of the artic blast I shiver and shake Not for cold   But for the absence The son who is On the Other Side   To say

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Categories

Recent Posts

Physics Depends on Metaphysics

The natural world comes from The Supernatural God. Give me a minute to explain. Did you know it takes all of your over 600 muscles plus your brain to make your body run? The human body plan explained by exercise scientists is fascinating! Did you know that the stealth fighter-bomber design was patterned after the

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Three Questions for Wise Decisions

Decision making can be difficult. Give me a minute to suggest three questions that could help. How to respond and when to act are hard to know for certain. Here are three questions to ask yourself (1) CAN I? What is your time and place in the world. What vocational gifts have you been given?

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My Approach to Social Media

What to say and how to say it. Give me a minute to explain my approach to social media. Here are seven of my approaches to social media. (1) I will *never* apologize for communicating a biblical mindset. (2) I will seek to begin with Scriptural doctrine applied to life. (3) My starting point will

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How Men Become Friends

Do you eat salt with your friends? Give me a minute to explain. I titled my talk to a men’s group, “Eating Salt Together: How Men Become Friends.” I got the idea from Aristotle who said, “Friendship requires time and familiarity, men cannot know each other till they have ‘eaten salt together’ until each has

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While You Still Have Time

If you were shown a miracle, would you believe? Give Me a Minute to explain. The story is told of the deaths of two men, one rich, one poor. The rich man, who thought his life was a result of his work, found himself in torment, separated from God. The poor man, who believed that

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Synthesis not Separation

Why is the idea of “warp and woof” important for everyday life? Give Me a Minute to explain. I agree with Augustine who said, “We love Truth when it suits us, but hate Truth when it accuses us” and with Os Guinness who said, “If we do not have integration with truth in the whole

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