Do you remember middle school? For most of us it was a painful time of moving from childhood to young adulthood. Braces, acne, puberty, and growth spurts afflicted most of us to the point of painful insecurity. In 1974 I was 13 years old, 6’ 2” tall, 100 pounds dripping wet, and could hardly walk…
Posts by Julia Cuan (Page 17)
A tumbleweed blows through a hot and dusty landscape as the passing wind creates a low and lonely whistle in the distance. A sunburned and wrinkled hand sifts the parched earth through calloused fingers as a lone tear slides down the dusty cheek of a desperate widow. A beautiful young woman is at the mercy…
Dear Family, My heart is full for four reasons. Reason #1: J-Mae Taylor’s Celebration of Life this Sunday at 2:00 PM This Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2:00 PM in the Valley Church Worship Center, we’ll gather as a church family to celebrate the life (and Lord) of J-Mae Taylor. When the King took J-Mae to…
Dear Family, We could almost smell the pizza and feel the padded rocking chairs as we trudged along the last two miles of our 14-mile hike in Yosemite in August, 2016. (OK, 13.8 miles if you want to be technical). My twin brother Dan and I were on the Pohono Trail which goes from Glacier…
Dearly Beloved, Satisfaction guaranteed! Is there really such a thing? Satisfaction guaranteed is a promise that if a buyer is not satisfied with the product purchased, the seller will refund the buyer’s money in full. Another name for this term is “money back guaranteed.” But can anyone honestly deliver? Are you satisfied right now? It would…
Dear Friends, I heard a story about someone who was visiting India for the first time and upon returning was showing some pictures of an Indian market. At one of the market booths, he had taken a picture of a man standing in front of several white, high quality, expensive washing machines. What caught his…
$45,000 – That’s the estimated cost most people will pay in 2021 to try to summit Mt. Everest. Approximately 800 people per year attempt to add their names to the 4,000 successful climbers of the tallest peak in the world. None of them wants their name added to 300 (10%) who have died trying. Forty-five…
Beady eyes glowed an evil red while searching for prey. Razor sharp six-inch-long teeth gleamed in the moonlit sky while the massive tail carved a swath of destruction behind powerful legs, crushing the rose bushes as it towered over our pink house in Santa Clara. I woke in a cold sweat and looked over at…
Hey Family, I was pranked when I came back from my sabbatical. It’s happened before. A few years ago, I returned to find my brown couch and lamp on the roof of building 3. Here’s how the latest gag went down. It was Monday and I expected my office furniture to be rearranged. So, when…
Hey Family! We’re starting “The Story” this Sunday. I just want to give you a little more info. Let’s countdown from seven, because, well, it’s sounds fun. 7. Crack open Chapter 1 and read it before Sunday morning if you can. Here’s an idea: pretend you’ve never read the Bible before. Let the words fall…