I have the opportunity to serve crime victims on a regular basis. And that includes people that have lost someone who have been murdered. The depth of grief that such individuals experience is beyond my comprehension. All of us struggle to determine how we can best meet a grieving person’s needs in the aftermath of such a horrific event. By now many of you have read the story about the Southwest Airlines pilot who delayed takeoff as a way of…
It was a cold day in Chicago in 1968 when my father received a fateful call that would prove to be life changing for our family. My mother had no clue who the mystery caller was on the other line, but she overheard my dad say: “I am not married to The International Harvester Corporation.” That little comment unnerved her! He had been employed at International Harvester for 17 years at that point in their married life. But that was…
The first vehicle I bought with my “own money” was a 1979 Chevrolet Silverado. I was really proud of that truck. In an earlier post, I described Plains National Bank’s president, T.J. Wallace setting up a car loan for me that I was able to sign for with my own signature as an 18 year old kid! The pristine used truck did not have an 8 track player. It had the latest and greatest cassette tape player! I was so…
There is such a thing as a statute of limitations on certain crimes. When enough time has passed by, you can no longer be convicted of that particular infraction. But there is no statute of limitations on gratitude. As long as the person who needs to be appreciated is still alive and well, they can still be thanked. My father died rather suddenly when I was 15 years old. Such an event has a way of putting a teenager’s life…
“The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.” -Albert Schweitzer You wake up one morning and realize that you are just going through motions of life. You go to work every morning. You take care of the children. You drop off your shirts at the dry cleaners to be pressed and your car at the repair shop for needed maintenance. You grab something for dinner on the way home and maybe even stop for an…
I read an interesting article today in which a man described seeing an Amish family at a museum. The Amish of course are known for living lives of extreme simplicity out of religious conviction. Some Amish sects do not use any kind of modern inventions like a car, or even a tractor for agricultural work. Their dress is characteristically simple. The movie Witness featuring Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis gives some insight into the culture of the Amish. The man…
Is it mental illness? Is it the overly negative political atmosphere that our country finds itself in at the present time? I don’t know the answers to those questions as they relate to the recent shooting rampage by 22 year old Jared Loughner. I have a few theories, but that is what they are…theories. I would go as far to say that some of the political rhetoric in the aftermath of this tragedy is out of line. I am convinced…
I was getting ready to deliver my sermon for the second morning service yesterday when I was approached by one of the members at church. Guess who is here today, he said? I am not sure I wanted to know… He proceeded to tell me that my undergraduate Spanish professor, Dr. Mary Perez, was present. No pressure of course! I had no reason to feel pressured. I was not planning on delivering my sermon in Spanish. But I still…
Last year was a time of reconnecting for me. In some cases, such reconnecting led to much needed reconciliation. Apologies were issued and forgiveness was extended. But mainly it was a time of resurrecting childhood and adolescent era friendships. The experience was rich and fulfilling in a way that is difficult to describe. Perhaps the richness is rooted in the time of life in which we find ourselves. Many of us are watching our children begin, and in some cases…
I am impossible to satisfy. I suppose I have no clue what it means to be content. I have whined for over three weeks now about my two college age sons staying up all night and sleeping all day. We have clashed about curfews and trips into Fort Worth. I decided today it was time to send both of them packing to their respective university campuses. I met both of them at Walmart this afternoon to stock them up on…