Fall is an emotional time of year. Walk along a familiar path and it’s transformed by the sight and smell of change. There is the sweet aroma of fallen leaves in those desperate days between green and brown. Adorned in a hue of orange and red and gold, the trees reluctantly drop and in their nakedness they sadly stare down at the ground. Drifting in slow-motion, the leaves, one-by-one, cascade to the ground. They gather together, stacked in the unity of their fate, swept... Read more
The house is finally silent. The stream of family and well-wishers has dried and I am left alone with my thoughts. She closed her eyes for the last time just five days ago, but already I feel the hollow chasm, the chilling winds that remind me. I am an adult orphan now, parentless . A mother and a father snatched in the same year is a double blow. Somehow, I thought they would always be around, invincible, oblivious to the... Read more
If you have an aging parent, you know that call can come anytime. Mine came just a couple of days ago. Mom couldn’t get up out of her chair. After some testing, the doctors determined she had bone marrow cancer. It’s incurable. Then, somewhere in the transition the next day, she contracted pneumonia. Yesterday, her kidneys began to shut down. Now, all of her systems are failing. It’s happening all too fast. The end, with it’s gloriously sad overtones, looks... Read more
I saw Dan today on my lunchtime walk downtown. But I wasn’t expecting to see him, at least, not like this. He was wearing a khaki blue uniform with a Wackenhut patch, a silver badge and a broad belt with various tools of the trade strapped on. Photo courtesy of istanbulmike “To serve and protect,” said the patch on his arm. I was surprised because I first knew Dan as an amazing youth pastor, whose smile and heart won over... Read more
Last night I sat with a group of wonderful people who were basically, a collection of misfits, walking wounded and broken pieces of humanity. And I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. Photo courtesy jennijumble I’m at the Laity Lodge writer’s retreat and I with some amazing craftsman. On one hand, they are the titans of wordsmithing. On the other, they are one messed up bunch of people. As we shared our stories, there was a common theme of shattered... Read more
I’m a great Starter. I have books with bookmarks carefully marking the last time I opened the book – months ago. I have a garage full of tiles, all measured with a new tile saw and glue. The kitchen floor still has the old lineoleum, dirty looking, torn on the edges. I have big ideas for books, articles and studies that fill notebooks. I’ve sold a million copies – in my mind. At work I have initiatives, projects and enhancements,... Read more
Is it possible that we could see the end of extreme poverty in just a generation? According to Dr. Scott Todd, of Compassion International, it is entirely possible. He listed some amazing trends: Currently, 1.4 billion people on earth live in extreme poverty, not having access to medical help, healthy food, clean water and who experience many other issues that plague those caught in poverty. But this is a number that has been cut in half since 1980! In 22... Read more
The gift of laughter is perhaps life’s most precious gift – short of life itself. The ability to turn the edges of the mouth up with a twinkle in the eye starts at the first congnitive stages of a baby’s life. She looks into your faces and waits for a sign of joy, and then she lights up. Throughout life we pay people to entertain us, we gravitate toward those who make us happy, and we find ways to sharpen... Read more
I have a busy life.Church. Writing. Teaching. Fellowship.Much of it centers around what I think are righteous, moral things.I’ve been a good neighbor. I mow my yard. I painted my peeling trim. I pull my trash cans in at night.I’ve been a good husband, kind and gracious, patient and loving.I’ve been a good father, listening and instructional, not exasperating my children.I’ve been a good worker, listening to my boss and helping my company with its goals.But the truth is that... Read more
We live in a society that needs to warn us about every danger out there. If every contingency isn’t covered, and you do something stupid, you can always sue. The Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch monitors how silly this can become with its Annual Wacky Warning Label Contest. The competition reveals how the lawsuits have created a need for warnings that really should be just common sense. Here are some of the winners over the years: A label on a baby... Read more
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