“How are you?”  That is a common question for which we seldom expect any but a polite answer; “Fine. And you?”  When we are conversing with a close friend or someone we know is going through tough times and we… Continue reading

Last Wednesday, in a second, things changed.  I slipped, badly wrenched my knee (still waiting MRI to know extent of damage), and became ‘weak.’  Every step hurts. Simple things like going from standing to sitting require deliberate thought. Getting in… Continue reading

Kathy (not her real name) struggled with life. She had bouts of severe anxiety, sometimes flew into blind rages, and was occasionally suicidal. She was in therapy for years.  Her psychiatrist reached out to me and asked if I would… Continue reading

Our church is in the middle of the “Matthew 25 Challenge” in cooperation with World Vision. Two goals are in view – to raise our awareness of the need that millions of people experience every day, and to open our… Continue reading

My grandson, Gio, who is 4, sometimes needs to be corrected like any toddler. Grandfathers see those moments of discipline so much differently than the parents. “It’s just a little thing. Don’t make him sad,” I offer.  But, truthfully, it… Continue reading

Can you imagine showing up for a family celebration dinner, sweaty, dirty, and stinking? It’s just not what’s done, right? No matter how much I loved him, I would not find it a very appetizing meal if I had to… Continue reading

Parenting teens is seldom fun, almost never easy, is it?  Bev and I aimed for a balance between love and respect.  We tried to affirm a sincere ‘try’ even if it failed, but also let our teens live with the… Continue reading

On my front door is a little device into which I enter a code to unlock the door. My family and a few of my friends know the code. It is implied that they are welcome to just ‘’walk in”… Continue reading

Staying connected!  It is one of the things that I most appreciate about the technology that fills my life. My phone signals the arrival of text messages dozens of times each day; everything from the mundane, “Won’t be home ‘til… Continue reading

Long ago, when in college, I had friends who showed up in class who obviously had not slept much the night before.  They were up into the small hours of morning ‘cramming,’ trying to absorb weeks of material in preparation… Continue reading