Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . You’ve probably heard the question: If you could have lunch with anyone, past or present, who would you choose? Recently, I served on jury duty. As the judge and attorneys vetted our jury pool, the defense attorney asked a young woman the lunch question. “My grandmother,” she answered. “She’s no longer with us. I’d love to sit down with her one more time.” The attorney never asked the same question twice. I had no need to think of how I would answer. Even so, his question stuck in my mind. If not bound by time and place, who would I choose? My own dear grandma (long deceased), Jesus Christ (of course), Abraham Lincoln... Then, in an instant, I knew. If I could have lunch with anyone, past or present, it would be my father at age 40. Officer Cyril Salva, Slovak Army My father led an incredibly interesting life. In 1919, he was born Cyril Methodius Salva in Lúčky [1] , a mid-sized town in the newly formed nation of Czechoslovakia. He came of...

Welcome to Real Life ! It's a casual world that we live in. I am shocked by photos of men in suits and women in dresses at early 20th century baseball games (of all places). In contrast, today, we wear jeans everywhere:  work, church, weddings, funerals, and most definitely baseball games. I’m not complaining. I love my blue jeans.   Yet, when I read about the dedication of King Solomon’s temple, my heart yearns to participate in this highly formal, dressed-in-your-best, 21-day-festival to honor my God. It is difficult to grasp the magnificence of the Israelite Empire during Solomon’s reign. [1] In Jerusalem, silver and gold were as common as… stones! [2] Most wondrous of all, this national assembly witnessed a physical manifestation of Almighty God: When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the ...