A Life That Matters

Losing the Votes That Really Count - #8401

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Thursday, November 12, 2009

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It was my big, political move: running for President of my college senior class, and it was close…really close. I lost like something like three votes. The outcome hurt a little, but not as much as finding out that some of my best friends hadn’t gotten around to voting that day. I didn’t have the votes of the people who counted most—the people closest to me.

Honoring the Sacrifice - #8400

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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Each Veteran’s Day, and every day, many people make their way to that long, black wall in Washington—the Vietnam War Memorial. A while back, a photographer decided just to hang out at the wall for a while and record what he saw there. And later, those photos became a beautiful tribute book. Early one morning he got down in the grass to shoot a new remembrance that had been left there overnight. It included an American flag, a Greek flag, a picture of a soldier, and a simple three-word inscription. Suddenly the photographer felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. And there standing behind him was an elderly man who just asked, “What do you think?” The photographer told the man how moving it was, and the man just smiled and said, “I’m glad. I put it there yesterday.” And that’s when that little three-word inscription suddenly took on new meaning…”Only One Son.”

Stuck In the Huddle - #8399

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

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If you see sports highlights of last weekend’s football games, I’m guessing they won’t show any huddles. Oh, yeah, huddles are important. It’s where you get ready to play the game, but hey, it’s not where the points are scored that decide the game.

Life's 500-Piece Puzzle - #8398

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Monday, November 9, 2009

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If you want to make our friend Linda happy, buy her a 500-piece puzzle. When you walk in her house, there’s usually one spread out over a table somewhere. Sometimes it’s all together; sometimes it’s a work in progress. And right close by, of course, there’s the top of the box.

The Trouble With Being Religious - #8397

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Friday, November 6, 2009

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Hey, there's good news if you're a religious person! Some recent research confirms that people that are actively religious tend to be physically healthier, emotionally healthier, and their children are less likely to get involved in destructive behaviors. Good news, huh? But it isn't all good news. See, the bad news for us religious people isn't from a survey. It's from the Bible.

Looking Out For Your Brother - #8396

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Thursday, November 5, 2009

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My little son once told me, "Daddy, I don't think our family's normal." Ha-ha, I assured him we're not, and that's OK. Because normal is boring. Both our sons are neither normal or boring, but they sure are close. The bond that started when they were little is even stronger today. Our older son's vivid memory is from when his brother was new-born and sleeping in the same room. And he remembers going over to his little brother's crib in the middle of the night just to make sure he was OK. They're all grown up now, but you know, they're still looking after each other.

Masterpiece In the Making - #8395

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

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Some friends recommended that I stop at a unique museum near them. It features the life work of an amazing man, whose astonishing wood carvings became national treasurers. The guide said he explained how many of his masterpieces began this way, "I saw it in the wood." Well, everybody else just saw a piece of wood. He saw what that wood could become in his hands.

Broken People - #8394

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

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I was on one field working with our high school football team, and my 12-year-old son was on another field playing a pickup game of football. When he came looking for me, I could tell by the look on his face and the distorted shape of the arm he was holding what had happened. The doctor at ER confirmed he had two bad breaks in his arm, and the pain of setting that arm was excruciating. Of course, he could have avoided the pain of getting it fixed by just leaving it broken, right? And just living the rest of his life with an arm that didn't work.

Lives Up For Grabs - #8393

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Monday, November 2, 2009

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"Squeaky" Fromme was 17 when she tried to kill the President of the United States back in the '70s. She was a follower of the mass murderer, Charles Manson. "Squeaky" Fromme was in the news again recently when she was released from prison. And I cannot forget an interview with her that I read after she was arrested. She recounted how she felt like a misfit. She'd run across the country to southern California, and she was sitting on a curb when a man put a hand on her head and offered to take care of her. That man was Charles Manson. She went with him because of a decision years before that "whoever loves me first, can have my life."

Pumpkin Light - #8392

contact@hutchcraft.com (Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc.) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Friday, October 30, 2009

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Well, it's the time of year for America's pumpkins to shine…literally. You’ll see them on porches and in windows all over the country tonight. Of course, a pumpkin can't shine without a little surgery first; actually, a lot of surgery. You’ve got to scoop out all his innards so you can carve a face on the old boy, and then place a candle inside him. And when you do, an otherwise boring old pumpkin suddenly glows with this light inside.