Celebrating the Journey

I have had several friends that have built new homes over the years.  As the construction proceeded, they proudly showed me pictures of the progress. When the house was finally completed, they eagerly shared photos of the finished project. It is a natural thing to share the joy of a new home with friends. Today we served hundreds of people who lost their homes in Granbury’s tornado Wednesday evening.  They patiently waited in line for hours to secure a permit…

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I am not an expert when it comes to serving our homeless population. But I am very aware of some of the hurdles that we face as we strive to actively express compassion to such individuals. Drug addiction and severe mental illness are among the list of difficulties. In recent months, it has become very clear to me that there is another kind of homeless population. There are the invisible homeless. It seems like a day does not go by…

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Yesterday I judged at a UIL Lincoln Douglas Debate Competition in rural Brock, Texas. I thought my debate coaching and judging days were over after Daniel graduated from high school, but that is not to be the case apparently.  Yesterday there were several matches where an experienced high school debater was paired with a student that possessed little or no experience in a tournament setting. It could have been the equivalent of me going up against Tiger Woods in match…

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When each of our boys started sleeping all the way through the night, it was a big deal.  Feedings in the wee hours of the morning soon ceased. Walking the floor with a baby suffering from colic lasted only a matter of weeks even though it seemed like months at the time!  Time marched on and they soon reached a point of seemingly staying up all night and sleeping during the day during school breaks. It never occurred to me…

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I received a message from a bride to be this week.  She asked me if I would officiate at her wedding.  My immediate reaction was to laugh.  In my mind, this precious little girl is still in the first grade at Dillman Elementary School. She needs to go and play on the swing set adjacent to the church building instead of sending messages about weddings. It is ridiculous. Six year old’s don’t get married. Fortunately I was jarred out of…

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This week I heard the story of a man who attended the same university that I did for my undergraduate degree work. He was just a few years ahead of me, so he is in his early 50’s. His life however has taken an unexpected direction.  I don’t know the details, but I was made aware this week that he has lived alone in a nursing home for quite some time. Thankfully several alums from our alma mater have made…

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I took advantage of a beautiful day in Chicago this afternoon, and went on a walk around the lake that surrounds the retreat center where I am participating in a quarterly retreat that is a part of a two year residency.  The air was crisp, but the thankfully it was a sunny day.  Last summer the trees that border the lake were green and breathtaking. It was obvious this afternoon that I arrived in Chicagoabout two weeks too late to enjoy…

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