I have a friend that lives over 900 miles away. Consequently, we don’t see each other much. But when we do converse, the dialogue always ends with the following phrase. “I hope we can connect soon.” I have always liked that. But I never gave much thought to the meaning behind what was being said. I read an excellent article today regarding the correlation between healthy relationships and addictive behavior. The writer made two significant points. The first one is…
Jim McGuiggan is one of my longtime heroes in ministry. I heard him speak last January. He still has that uncanny ability to speak to the heart as well as the head. Here is a small portion of an article he composed in 1977 that was recently reprinted. In Ireland where milk is sold in glass bottles, a seven year old was asked by his father to the put the bottles at the end of the path so the milkman…
I have always had a fondness for mom and pop hole in the wall eating establishments. When I travel, I am not drawn to the chain restaurants. The local café with an old fashioned soda fountain might be nice instead. Or I am even inclined to patronize a unique place that draws the hipster crowd. I love the places that draw a diverse group. Harold’s Barbeque in Abilene is closed now. (Harold retired.) Its building was not exactly pristine. And…
Accounting Principles changed the direction of my life. Seriously, it really did! I was enrolled in my second year as an undergraduate student as a marketing major. My goal in life was to be a business tycoon. But then accounting principles rolled around in the degree plan. The professor had just earned his PHD at a prominent university in the Midwest. He told us on the first day of class that accounting principles would be a weed-out course. In his…
A longtime family friend died very unexpectedly last week in a house fire. Jan grew up with this gentleman. He was two years older than her. She had known him all of her life. I have known his entire family for almost 20 years. I watched his boys grow up. They are outstanding young men. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, close friends gathered to support those men, as they coped with the harsh reality of sudden loss. During…
I have no problem issuing statements. Declaring my assessment of another’s person’s character is actually quite easy. “He is mean.” “She is judgmental.” “He is lazy.” “She is a gossip.” Such statements can be even more specific. “He is exclusive and not inclusive in his relationships with people.” “She resents people that have obtained advanced degrees.” I can assess a person’s character in a matter of seconds by stating what certainly appears to be obvious. I often experience great difficulty…
Mr. Groux was my employer when I was a struggling undergraduate student lacking life direction and basic maturity. And to top it off, I had leanings toward being arrogant. What a wonderful combination! But Mr. Groux put up with me every single day. As I would express my poorly conceived opinions, occasionally he would say: “Are you well qualified to discuss that?” And of course…I was not! But today I am indeed well qualified to discuss the topic I…
In 1987, I was a young, inexperienced minister who was in way above his head. I assumed my first real professional role at age 25. To say I was “green” is understatement. In addition to serving university students at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, TX, I also served as an adjunct instructor of Biblical History and Literature in the English Dept. I was in survival mode. I taught three days a week, so lecture preparation was a daily challenge…
My boys have repeatedly accused me of allowing my music tastes to get stuck somewhere in the ’80’s. Of course I am not about to admit my state of guilt to them, but they are indeed correct. I like classic rock music that is now thirty or even forty years old. I was helping one of our 20 something’s at church move to a new apartment a few weeks ago. When her ringtone blared out some unfamiliar, but no doubt…
It was one of “those” mornings as my day got started today. Perhaps it is the change of seasons. Or maybe it is because Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It could be partially triggered by still another friend losing a parent this week. I will attend that funeral tomorrow. Another friend lost his son in a tragic accident earlier this fall. There are probably a complex mix of reasons. But the truth is I felt the pangs of grief as…