We carry our stories with us. They go with us everywhere night and day. Our life story shapes us much more than what we would like to admit. Even events that took place as young children in elementary school continue to impact us as mature adults. During the course of the past year two friends of mine from elementary school apologized to me for things that were done when we were kids. They had carried the guilt from those encounters…
When Jan prepares a meal or bakes goodies for noon birthday gatherings for her co-workers, the kitchen remains in a state of order during the entire process. It is disgusting. You can’t even tell that she is working on something. She cleans as she goes. She puts spices up right after using them. Something is wrong with that picture. When I prepare meal, you know I have been there. There are pots stacked everywhere. There is a dusting of flour…
I am really not into delayed gratification, but I do see the value of plugging along on an effort consistently. I have wanted to be able to speak Spanish for quite some time now. But learning a new language requires a tremendous of discipline and hard work! Last spring I took a Conversational Spanish course at Tarrant County College. That was helpful. And then I attempted an online Spanish grammar course over the summer. I dropped that class! Summertime is…
I might as well go on and confess now… It IS a holiday weekend. Maybe that will serve as a sufficient excuse. Well…here goes: I watched a chick flick with Jan last night. Actually as far as that particular genre of movies goes, this one is a good one. We watched Fried Green Tomatoes, which was released in 1991. I saw it in the movie theater that year and liked it then. Jessica Tandy is brilliant and Kathy Bates does…
Entitlement is a word that seems to be floating around quite a bit these days. Last year I had a lengthy discussion with a gentleman who serves as vice president for student services at a private university. As we reflected on college students that are a part of “Generation Y”, it did not take him long to bring up the subject of entitlement. In working with this group of young people over the past decade, he has noticed that they have…
In recent weeks, I have interacted with several people who are at the end of their rope. They are frustrated beyond words. They are in situations that seem to have no solutions. They have tried everything and nothing seems to be working. They don’t feel like they are being hard. And they certainly don’t feel appreciated and valued. How can we help our friends when they are at the end of their rope? Here a few ideas. Extending the Rope…
I have a confession to make. I am a die hard Green Bay Packers fan. I know several of my Texas born and bred friends are ready to throw eggs at me right, but it is really not my fault. Blame my loyalty toward the Pack on Bart Starr. Starr was a 17th round draft choice for the Packers in 1956. But legendary coach Vince Lombardi saw potential in the young quarterback. Starr led the Packers to five NFL titles…
To the loved, a word of affection is a morsel; but to the love-starved, a word of affection can be a feast. –Max Lucado Last night I had some time to spend with the officers at the Granbury Police Department, who work the evening patrol shift. Riding with them on a Friday night is really the best refresher course I can get in ministry. It is an opportunity to encounter all kinds of people in a variety of situations. I…
Jim Martin, who is a professional colleague of mine from Waco, included this story in his blog today. (Be sure to check out his blog at www.godhungry.org) Jim uses the personal story as a basis for an important challenge. However I am going to take the story in a little different direction…Here is his story: I was in the fourth grade. “Jane” sat in the chair behind me. She often drooled on her desk. She was blond, lanky, and was…
Not many days go by that I don’t observe the consequences of throw away relationships. In working with police officers every week, I frequently observe juveniles who are attempting to navigate the turbulent years of adolescence without the helpful guidance of stable parents. It is not uncommon to see divorced parents acting worse than a couple of unsupervised 5 year olds. The police end up serving as referees in an ugly game that appears to have no end in…