I can’t count the number of times over the past year I’ve heard someone start a sentence with “the younger generation today” or “today’s kids” followed by something negative. They don’t want to work. They’re lazy. They have short attention spans. They’re all about immediate gratification. Each time it’s so jarring, it feels like a… Read More
Reconciliation requires stubbornness–I mean perseverance
As the year winds down, it’s naturally a time of retrospection. At the beginning of the year I chose as “my” word reconciliation. I vowed to reconcile myself to my limited mobility and the changes in my body caused by chronic illness. With only a few weeks left in 2018, I decided to see how… Read More
Prayer and the rest of the story
If I recorded my prayer conversations with God, they would sound something like this: Hey God, how’s it going? Yeah, I know. I forgot our appointment yesterday. Go ahead and put it on my tab. I’ll pay up one of these days. It’s already paid for? Cool. Thanks. I’m fine. Of course, you know that’s… Read More
Packing up memories to move to new house
In 1998, my son Nicholas attended the second grade. He loved playing Olly Olly Oxen Free with a posse of neighborhood kids. Our daughter Erin was in third grade. She and the little girl who lived next door, Morgan Cotter, were best friends. She wore only dresses and climbed over the back fence to play… Read More
Let Thanks Commence: My Top 10 2018 Blessings
As we celebrate this thanksgiving season, I look back on this year and find that I have so much for which to be thankful, I’m not even sure where to begin. The last few years have been difficult, but the blessings have been many. I practice giving thanks every day, all year long. It’s a… Read More
Reconciliation is what the world needs now
I’ve never been one to choose a word for the year. I love words so picking one would be a huge chore. Recently, however, I had an epiphany during a Sunday school class discussion of the word “reconciliation.” This is my word. Not only for 2018 but for my life. I need reconciliation. I need… Read More