The kid had it pretty good. His father was a righteous kind man, and he enjoyed a doting mother and several younger siblings. Despite their lack of riches, the family resided in a friendly neighborhood where the children played on the street and the adults parented by committee. However, he faced a formidable foe in the form of his older brother. No matter what he did or how hard he tried, he could never live up to the standards set by the firstborn. He dreamed of the day that his “nemesis” would leave the household and allow him to become […]

Commonly known as the Chairman of the Board, Ol’ Blue Eyes and the Big Guy, among others, Frank Sinatra and his melodic voice enthralled millions. His reputation among the ladies was unquestioned given his penchant for romantic songs. Yet, a mostly unnoticed theme weaved his way through the lyrics, that of a man coming to grips with his mortality.  Last Words His friend, “The Summer Wind,” is replaced by the autumn and winter winds. At the end of “That’s Life,” he rolls himself in a big ball and dies. Only vintage wine and short days remain as his romantic exploits, […]

“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire’” (Nehemiah 1:1–3). Honest Evaluation, the […]