Tim Bates 
I am a poor sport and a sore loser and, needless to say, highly competitive. When I have lost a basketball game or lost at bowling or golf, or whatever the event may be, one of the last things I feel like doing is shaking the hand of whoever bested me that day. It’s a … Read more
Michael Avenatti made headlines a few months back when he represented some women who accused a Supreme Court nominee of various crimes. Regardless of one’s political affiliations or feelings toward President Trump, there was reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the accused. Throughout the charade, there was, unfortunately, a real lack of the presumption … Read more
To say that my wife and I are not on the same page in any number of areas would be an understatement. My favorite restaurants (wing places and sports bars) rank among her most hated places to eat. Many of her favorite places are entirely incompatible with my stomach. I love watching sports and, well, … Read more
The worst job I have ever had was working retail at a large electronics store who claims that their buys are the best. I liked my coworkers, and I was and still am sincerely interested in home theater products. One of the worst parts of the job was dealing with customers. After a while you … Read more
Recently there’s been a lot of talk about judges. The MLB playoffs are just beginning so Aaron Judge and his undeniable charm and electrified bat (curse you Judge for making me root for a Yankee) will certainly be making headlines. NFL officials, specifically in Browns’ games, make some rather noteworthy judgment calls. But that’s not … Read more
Have you ever felt guilty for going a day without reading your Bible, having a quiet time, a devotion, or some other type of Scripture-centered activity? If so, this post is for you! Let’s quickly see what verses we can point to that might help soothe your conscience and help your weary soul rest. Frankly, … Read more
An older couple once said, “the word divorce isn’t even in our vocabulary.” I replied with this inquiry, “then how do you know how to pronounce it and define it?” Juuuust kidding. We know what they meant, don’t we? Matthew 19:3-9 3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for … Read more
I once made the mistake of commenting on Facebook when a local news station posted an article about animals being left behind during a hurricane. My comment was something along the lines of how unfortunate it was for those animals (dogs, cats and various other pets) but at least there weren’t people left behind. The … Read more
Good communication requires the sender and receiver to interact based on the same information. As anyone who has ever lived knows, a lot of communication is nonverbal. “How are you?” “Good.” That conversation consists of 4 words but it can be interpreted many different ways depending on the tone of voice, the context of the … Read more
Forgive my clickbaity title for my post. If you want to nickname me Tim “Click” Bates, then so be it. I won’t stop you. My son’s name is Calvin and my wife almost divorced me when I asked if we could name our daughter “Lutherina.” In hindsight I should have asked her about Lutherina before … Read more
The idea of one needing to check his privilege first came across my eyes and ears a few years back. I remember thinking, quite naively in hindsight, that this was just a few college students who are professionally and perpetually outraged being coached by some untenured professor trying to make a name for herself. “Such … Read more