Finish Well Is it too late to make a difference? What used to be             Follow in your father’s footsteps             Lived within 5-10 miles of birthplace             30-35 years work             Relative poverty             Die 50-55 ASK – GRANDFATHERS – occupation, when died Today             New careers – opportunities             Travel – movement             40-55 ears work             Relative wealth Die 70-75 The bottom line Bottom line – more time, more work, more money “With great power, comes great... Read more

The Black Friday deaths last week were sad commentaries on our society. People died because we needed our stuff. They were crushed because of our greed, our consumption and worship of the idol of self. Our culture values material things over people, and those that died were casualtities of our way of life. We are concerned about gay marriage, the breakdown of the family, and the rise of naked atheism. We preach against them, stand against them and gather forces... Read more

During the Iraq Gulf War, reporters were granted a unique, first hand glimpse of the battle. During the “shock and awe” of the initial raid in Iraq and march toward Bagdad, television was never so honest. This was reality TV.   As invited guests of the Pentagon, these reporters were  embedded in units of every type. Every service was represented and, by and large, the reporting was accurate. It was real. Sometimes I feel like I’m embedded in this world. Sent as an emissary to my cubicle, my... Read more

Please, share with a friend if you feel moved. Read all past issues at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidrupert Read more

Here we go. The Christmas, I mean “Holiday” Shopping Season is about to start. Actually, it seems to have started sometime in October, with pre-black Friday sales at Lowe’s and Walmart, tree decorations in Sears before Halloween, and ads stuffing my newspaper and mailbox. Traditionally, retail stores have started the big push the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday for most stores meant an early opening at 7 a.m. or even 5 a.m. for die hards. But all norms are off... Read more

These days, the workplace for many has a certain sense of gloom. The economy hasn’t treated most of us well. Cutbacks, reductions and less benefits are the norm.  Image by Ben Fredericson. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr.  Many of my friends have gone from the rolls of short-term unemployed to long-term. Others are underemployed, finding work as temps or part time workers, benefits trimmed or stripped outright. And for those that are still working, they have to do way... Read more

In this traditional week of thanks, it’s not always easy for everyone to find gratitude. In fact, for some, there is a tendency for us to focus on the things we’ve lost. For me, there is a nagging voice that tries to tell me to surround myself with the cloak of pity, to cower and hide in the dark. I ‘ve lost a life-long love to the world. I love lost both of my parents to death. I’ve lost friends to their own... Read more

Please, share with a friend if you feel moved. Read all past issues at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidrupert Read more