I was a sucker for the challenge.  And like Narcissus gazing at his reflection in the pool of water, I was smitten by what I saw.

A writer I respect, and who, like me, is generally not inclined to support the use of artificial intelligence as an aid in writing, suggested submitting a sample of our writing to an AI program for an analysis of our style.  I never should have done it, but I gave the AI program my online URL, www.billteague.online, and asked for some comments on how I write – not so much what I write.

The program said of my style in these Observations posts, “(it) is reflective, conversational, and deeply rooted in personal observation. He blends thoughtful commentary on faith, life, and culture with a tone that feels approachable and sincere…His prose is straightforward yet carries a gentle rhythm, often punctuated by a dry wit or subtle humor that keeps it engaging. He’s not afraid to question conventional wisdom or admit uncertainty, which gives his writing a relatable, grounded feel. …Overall, it’s a style that invites readers to pause and think alongside him, rather than dictating answers—intimate, unhurried, and quietly provocative.”

Well, thank you very much!  I feel affirmed, especially since Microsoft Word often tells me my sentence structure is too complex and that I might be better off choosing a simpler word. Continue reading →

You may have read of the latest church scandal reported in the news to a church scandal loving public. It turns out that the Church of England has ruled against gluten-free bread and alcohol-free wine for use in the Eucharist, communion as we low church people call it.

My low church denomination has issued no edict on the matter, so we are free to offer gluten-free bread and a choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic wine at our communion buffets.

It is not so much that the Church of England has some sort of animus towards the gluten-intolerant or those who for whatever reason abstain from alcohol.  It’s just that church law, the Canons of the Church of England, are pretty clear. Section B.17.2b reads concerning the elements for Holy Communion:

“The bread, whether leavened or unleavened, shall be of the best and purest wheat flour that conveniently may be gotten, and the wine the fermented juice of the grape, good and wholesome.”

The ban on gluten-free and alcohol-free elements comes right after section B.16: Of notorious offenders not to be admitted to Holy Communion. It does not say whether parishioners who sneak a gluten-free wafer or a flask of Welch’s Grape Juice into a worship service are to be considered notorious offenders. Continue reading →

It’s been a cold winter in Northeast Indiana, and though our snowfall is a bit below average, we’ve had enough that we’ve needed to keep the snow shovel handy.

As is the case in many places, our municipal code requires accumulated snow to be removed from the sidewalks in front of our houses within 24 hours after the storm has ended its dump. I’m usually out within an hour, which is not the case with many of our neighbors. It seems that some of our neighbors have adopted the snow removal philosophy we often heard when we lived in the real snow country of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan – “spring will come soon enough.”

I make no apologies for my fastidious adherence to the municipal code. Getting the snow off the sidewalks and driveway is not only the right thing to do, it is the safe thing to do.

My problem is not our snow-free concrete. My problem is my humility-free attitude. Like someone with a “Love Spoken Here” lawn sign, I use our clean sidewalks to signal my virtue as compared to my neighbors with the icy and slushy mess they call their driveway and sidewalks. Continue reading →

The Indiana Toll Road is the portion of Interstate 90 that runs from Ohio to Illinois. For most of its distance it hugs the Michigan border. Earlier this week Becky and I were on the Toll Road headed to Chicago, and along the way Becky took the photo shown above – a little country church in Indiana about a half a mile south of the Michigan line.

Yes, it is a great photo and kudos to the photographer.

The scene and the photo taken from the Toll Road have gotten me thinking about the church.

I knew nothing about the church when we saw it on our trip. Since we got  back home, a little Google Maps investigation and search engine work has provided a bit of information. The church is called Pretty Prairie Church, and its denominational website tells us 31 people attend worship at Pretty Prairie on a given Sunday. The satellite view on the map site shows the cemetery that surrounds the church building. Findagrave.com says there are 622 graves in the Pretty Prairie Cemetery; the first burial in the cemetery was nearly 200 years ago, the most recent occurred two weeks ago. The dead outnumber the living at Pretty Prairie 20 to 1. That’s the way it should be. Continue reading →

A few cold Sundays ago, the low tire pressure warning on our car pinged and the light flashed on the dashboard just as we were making the final turn toward the church. No problem getting to worship, and on the way home we stopped at a gas station to fill the tires with air. The right rear was down a little more than the others, but I figured the cold might be affecting the pressure. A week or so later I added some air to all the tires before we began our 1200+ mile trip to Missouri.  Again, that right rear tire seemed to want a little more air than the others. Then last Thursday, about a week after our return from Missouri, the low pressure light flashed again.  That right rear tire had lost another 7 PSI. Time for a visit to the tire shop.

Sure enough, the tire technician found a small nail between the treads. He pulled the nail, plugged the leak, and we were on our way. The right rear tire is holding its air as well as the other three.

So, for more than a month we had been driving round on a right rear tire with a very slight puncture wound. We never heard a hiss. Missouri and back with no problems. I suppose we could have added air every couple of weeks for a long time. I guess we could have ignored that low tire pressure warning light until we happened to find a filling station with an air pump – it’s just that right rear tire down around 7 PSI, we’ll take care of it when we can. Continue reading →