My grandpa, Edwin Penner, mortgaged his house to build our hometown Baptist church in Chico, Calif. Once built, he drove his Dodge pickup over every Sunday at 6 a.m. to turn on the heat or air conditioning for the comfort…
Our undeceived young people
The first time both our kids were old enough to vote in the United States presidential election was the year 2016. That year, more than 80% of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump. And here, eight years and one insurrection,…
Our unsung military personnel
My liberal tribe who admire my long gray hair, my distain of bras and my vermicomposting practice cringe a little when I talk about our military. They confuse my respect and admiration of those who serve — “Non sibi sed…
Our untapped treasure
Do you know any old ladies? I mean the ones gerontologists refer to as the “old-olds”? They are in their late 80s, their 90s and even 100s. With our advancing technologies and expanding life spans, there are more of them…