Reminders

May 1, 2007

It was Tuesday that I took Mary to the airport for a 19-day journey to Europe.  After an overnight flight, she connected with our daughter, Alli, at Heathrow Airport in London, at the conclusion of Alli’s 12-week semester of college study in Tanzania. Once I returned to our house, I began my bachelor experience. At […]

Read the full article →

Hard versus Soft

April 13, 2007

My mother used to have this hammer thing, wooden handle and a head with a waffle-like surface. She used it often and well to pulverize some inexpensive cut of meat into something edible. It worked. No sharp knives required. The process: blunt, intentional and focused transformed tough into tender. I admit it, my life is […]

Read the full article →

Washing Away Doubts

April 6, 2007

I was awakened midway through my night of sleep, as I often am now that I’m north of fifty years old.  It took a few moments to acclimate… a hotel room does that to me.  When I crawled back into bed, my body was ready for more rest, but my mind had been liberated, and […]

Read the full article →

Fertile Soil

March 30, 2007

The San Joaquin Valley is a volcano of green; an explosion of some of the most productive farmland in the world. For the past few days I’ve ridden across and flown over this incredible piece of California geography. Grape, almond, carrot, citrus and cotton fields by the miles crisscross the flatlands of the central valley. […]

Read the full article →

I’m Sorry

March 23, 2007

He actually did it. The woman in 1C moved to the front of the airplane where she lingered for a few moments too long. The flight attendant insisted that she return to her seat, and as if a trigger had been pulled, she spouted terse, inflammatory and dismissive language at him while she returned to […]

Read the full article →

Jars of Clay

March 16, 2007

We had planned on a quick stop. Just a trip to the Religion section of our local Border?s Bookstore to check on a title. When I opened the front door of the store I was swamped with a wave of live music. A table to my right revealed the name of the group and the […]

Read the full article →

Not for me…

March 9, 2007

Not you. Not for me. Last night was an extraordinary night. After most of the offices had emptied, a group of Youth for Christ staff and board members from around the world gathered in a conference room for dinner. The individual conversations that took place around two large tables were replaced by a polite silence […]

Read the full article →

The Finish Line

February 23, 2007

Clint Bowyer is not a household name for most individuals, but last Sunday he exploded onto television screens across the country. Bowyer is a 27-year-old from Emporia, KS that drives on the NASCAR circuit. Last Sunday, at one of the most prestigious NASCAR venues, Clint Bowyer finished in 18th place in a field of 43. […]

Read the full article →

Space Travel

February 16, 2007

Space travel in the late 60s made nearly everyone an explorer. It was the origin of reality television. Brave astronauts, uncharted territory, and live unfolding mystery. We, the general population, hung on the images that raced through time and space to magically appear with unsynchronized sound. In those moments, as the Apollo spacecraft would enter […]

Read the full article →

Warm Mugs

February 2, 2007

Almost every morning in the office I see a lineup of mugs with hot water in them. This very serious stretch of winter has impacted the temperatures in our kitchen cabinets and consequently the temperature of every mug stored in them. It can be a bit disconcerting to pour a cup of hot coffee or […]

Read the full article →