If I Look Real Hard He's Still on the Porch

I call these devotional essays. They are not exactly devotions, you know, the sort of thing where you have a reading each day with a prayer. They are certainly not inspirational essays where you are uplifted, encouraged, and enabled. No, these are more about the hard questions.
Why aren't we the happy Christians that Scripture says we should be? How do we deal with the increasingly strident clamor over the issue of homosexuality? Who is correct, the Calvinists or the "saved by grace" folks? What is the role of the earthly father in modern society? How should we interact with the Holy Spirit? What is this hang-up we have with our possessions? How do I follow in the footsteps of the Master?
There is a ceremony for the blessing of children at Christmas, a discussion of Pascal's Wager, and lessons learned from grandchildren. There are encounters with dogs and snakes and even a chess match. I think there is something for most folks here. My thoughts tend to wander sometimes.
No, these are not devotions. They might be good sermon fodder. They are certainly food for some very hard thought and soul-searching. You may find that my position on a certain matter is very different than yours. That's OK. God loves us both.