Celebrating the Journey

US Airways Captain Chesley Sullenberg became an overnight celebrity in the wake of his heroic actions during Flight 1549 on January 15th of this year. Birds collided with the jet engines, which placed the aircraft in mechanical danger in a matter of seconds. The captain made an instantaneous decision not to fly the disabled aircraft back to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Instead, he made an emergency landing in the Hudson River. He of course was applauded by aviation officials for…

Read More Read More

It was late fall in 1980. The leaves were golden, the weather was turning crisp, and my first semester at Texas Tech was almost over. I got off work one night just as the breathtaking West Texas sunset was casting shadows over my drive home. That is when I saw her… I almost ran into the person in front of me in traffic that evening. My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed hard. She was sitting all by herself at…

Read More Read More

When it comes to relating to Jan’s extended family, I have never received passing grades. I have actually had over 25 years to practice too! I have been a resounding relational failure in that area of life. My friends find such a revelation to be shocking. I am generally perceived as being a people person. I love being with my close friends. Many of my friendships have spanned for over three decades. I am always open to the cultivation of…

Read More Read More

I really wish that all of the important relationships in life came with an owner’s manual attached. It would save a lot of time and avoid painful relational grief. I have mentioned in previous posts that I did not grow up associating with extended family on a regular basis. That is putting it too tactfully actually…We just never did anything with extended family. There were no big holiday gatherings or family reunions. There were several reasons for such familial isolation….

Read More Read More

Roles are reversed this weekend. I am so accustomed to serving families in grief. It is a huge part of my life as a minister, and more importantly it truly is my calling. This weekend I am watching the good people in Ft. Collins, CO serve our extended family, as we try to come to grips with the reality of losing my 17 year old nephew. Neighbors are flooding in with enough food to feed a small army. Friends from…

Read More Read More