Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Last weekend, I visited a dear friend in the hospital. Clues indicate transition to heaven is imminent, yet life’s story is still being written, and timing is in God’s hands. Death is a subject no one wants to discuss, yet death is the final stage of life. Preparation Wills, advance directives, and DNR’s are decisions […]
Occasionally, when I am in my quiet home, I think I hear Jim’s voice. My phone still holds one of the last voice mails Jim left me. I kept the mini cassette from my father’s office answering machine that contains words in his gentle southern drawl. Early in life, we learn to recognize the voices […]
People-watching at the gym is always interesting. All types work out: fat, thin, young, old, body-builders, casual exercisers, and those who would rather be anywhere but the gym. For some, I use that term “workout” lightly. One guy always catches my attention. He walks in the door sporting untied shoes, wild, just-rolled-out-of-bed hair, and clothes […]
As I sat on my deck one cool morning, I noticed a bloom on my dogwood tree. At first, I thought it was a fluke, a piece of white paper stuck in the branches, or my eyes playing tricks. But on closer inspection, I noticed several dogwood flowers scattered around the tree. I was surprised, […]
Last week I had the pleasure of an extended visit with cousins. We enjoyed sweet days of fellowship together, a refreshing time of reminiscence and reset. Taking time to refresh mentally, physically, and spiritually involves intentionality. If we don’t plan for times of refreshment, our busy lives take over, leaving us parched and exhausted. Following […]
Last week, I learned a young couple’s story. For the husband, a few days of fever, then a rash, a trip to urgent care, an ER visit, followed by a cancer diagnosis. What? How does a healthy young man suddenly slam into a life-altering diagnosis? How does a young couple go from life as usual […]
On a rainy day, in a drive-thru line, I accidentally put my car in neutral instead of increasing the wiper speed. When time came to pull forward, I couldn’t understand why my car wouldn’t move, until I saw the glaring “N” on the display panel. There are times in our lives when grief, illness, or […]
Are you in a life season when everything feels more complicated than usual? I’m there. Supposedly, the pace of life slows in retirement years. I haven’t found it to be so. Here are reflections on a season of dealing with hard stuff: Complicated Business Processes After 50+ years, a landholding corporation my father and uncle […]
I am a somewhat sporadic journaler. Some years, I am more intentional with journaling than others. My most prolific journaling years usually happened when I was going through a difficult season. Recently, I found a stack of journals on the lower shelf of my desk. Initially, I thought about skimming through them before deciding whether […]
Several weeks ago, I had Mohs surgery for skin cancer on my face. A tiny bump that appeared in December never went away. In March, the bump grew exponentially, quadrupling in size. A biopsy in April revealed it was squamous carcinoma. I was discouraged about the size of the scar post-surgery, but I experienced the […]