Posts by Jeff Minick

There’s a little bit of heaven in every day if we make room for it.

When we take a do-it-yourself approach to our republic, when we make ourselves agents for the preservation of our God-given rights, even in small ways, we help keep alive that dream of the founders 250 years ago. 

Here’s to our own fathers, living or dead, good or bad, present and always loving or never ever to be seen. They were a part of the formula that created us. Because of them, we received the gift of life. 

Here are 10 motion picture time machines that can transport you and your family back into our country’s past. Bring along some popcorn, that fine old American food, and enjoy the ride.   

Here was a woman who put her hand in the hand of God decades before she was afflicted with Alzheimer’s. That disease destroyed memory, reason, and finally consciousness, yet she never let go of God’s hand. 

Composers and publishing houses gave Americans on both sides of the conflict such a steady diet of songs and tunes that no other war in our country’s history produced so much music, some of which is still familiar to us today. 

Look back with gratitude, and it becomes much easier to look up with hope.

If you find yourself acting snarky without cause, looking into your phone screen instead of your history textbook, or eating as if you were at a trough rather than at a table, summon up that stronger self and beat down the Goop within. 

If you want to break away from fear, start with gratitude. Be patient, and eventually you’ll begin seeing the world the way it is, unclouded by all the negative narrative. 

There’s little we can do to cheer up the sourballs, but we can, if we keep the right attitude, have some fun with them.

Respect ourselves by doing the right thing, respect the humanity of others, and we come out as winners.

Can a republic survive when the minds of voters are a hodge-podge of confusing information and disjointed thoughts? 

Multitudes of people ages 20 to 40 are considering switching jobs this year. Some will stay in the field of work they’ve chosen, but will look for higher pay or greater career opportunities.

Human connections, a code of virtue, an upbeat take on the future, and learning early on the value of grit and fortitude: these were some of the tools that served our ancestors instead of therapists and psychotropic drugs. 

Even ghosts, it turns out, can do battle for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Just ask George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and the millions of others who built this country and still speak to us from beyond the grave.

However messy their lives, the royals represent ages-old traditions, something which many are longing for today.

A child needs a mother and a father. Call me old-fashioned if you like, but there it is.    

The instincts of these men appeared to me so natural that I would have never otherwise noticed them. In situations like this shooting, what else would a man do? 

The storms may come, but we don’t have to be the ones salting the clouds.

Our young people are capable of much more than we give them credit. Like generations of students before them, they can be challenged to push themselves in the classroom, as I did when teaching, yet all too often teachers, parents, and other adults look to ease the way of these students rather than encouraging them to study hard and overcome obstacles. 

Studies have shown that talking to ourselves can be tremendously beneficial.

Putting prayer and study into practice should help us become better human beings, never perfected but always aiming toward the perfection found in Christ.

Being a gentleman doesn’t mean becoming some stuffy postmodern Victorian. It does mean dressing appropriately, carrying yourself with dignity, telling the truth whether in person or on some social media app, and showing respect and kindness to others.

Call me a prude, a prig, a Puritan – I don’t care, but I’m dead-set against foul language and profanity. So bring back that old-fashioned bar of soap because we’ve got some mouth cleaning to do.

Watch old movies of the past and the contrasts between then and now are stark.

This Eastertide, if you feel locked in that tomb, try knocking and see if the stone rolls away. Joy can be yours if you seek it. 

Whatever readers think of my letter’s philosophy, style, or advice, my hope is that you’ll write similar letters to your own offspring, your word-gift of life lessons and encouragement intended to inspire them in good times and bad.