Many years ago, we cared for John (not his real name), who was a foster child in our home. That little boy was fearless. Because he could not, or would not recognize dangers, big or small, we had to constantly… Continue reading

On the ring finger of my left hand is a gold band, set with small diamonds, that is well-worn after 32 years! It makes me a marked man. That little symbol declares that Jerry is married, that his affections belong… Continue reading

Mary Kay Ash, the founder of the cosmetics company that bears her name, says “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging around their neck saying, ‘Make me feel important!’” Is she right? To a degree, yes. We all like to know… Continue reading

More than a few times in my life, particularly in my teens, one of the reasons I did not give in to peer pressure to do some stupid thing, was that I heard the echo of my Dad’s voice in… Continue reading

People greet me with that common question – “How are you?” I often reply, “Marvill-ious!” The silly, made up word catches them off guard and, after a couple of seconds of trying to figure out what I said, they smile.… Continue reading

I want to be a person of depth, giving my energies to things that are packed with meaning and/or purpose. Everyday I am confronted with the temptation to live on the surface of life, doing the minimum things necessary to… Continue reading

The heavy slabs of concrete in the sidewalk tilted at an angle. They were displaced, not by heavy machinery, but by years of steady growth of a tree, that exerted amazing force steadily, nearly invisibly. Through icy winters and hot… Continue reading

Ordinary people, extraordinarily empowered While I watched the story from Virginia Tech unfold, learning of the death of 32 students and instructors, suddenly all the disappointment in people that I’ve dealt with for the past couple of weeks seemed to… Continue reading

When crisis strikes, when disappointment breaks over us like a crashing wave, or when opportunities come to us; we ask – “what do I do now?” The families of 31 students at Virginia Tech, who were shot dead yesterday by… Continue reading

“It’s a faith thing!” What we think we believe is often at odds with what we truly believe! Our profession of faith in Jesus Christ is confirmed or denied, not by our words alone, but by our actions which reveal… Continue reading