Recovery. Sobriety. Living Wise.
What do you do when your life’s been turned upside down? Hard question! Such was the case for me when Marsha and I left Chicago to resettle in the Pacific Northwest. I thought moving back would be cakewalk — wasn’t I just coming home? Apparently not. The years I lived in Chicago had changed me. I first came to Chicago as a 21-year-old scrub-faced kid … Continue reading Turning Right Side Up
Marsha and I have a number of dear friends engaged in difficult situations. We each have our own way of praying for them, and shared with each other recently how seriously we take these prayers. Our conversation got me curious about the role of prayer in the lives of two individuals who changed the course of American history. Isabella Baumfree was an African American born … Continue reading Does Prayer Have Power?
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” — Marcel Proust My own voyage of discovery has taught me to fix my eyes not on the peaks and valleys of life, but on the horizon where the mind is opened, the heart is restored, and the soul comes in contact with — awe. This past year tested … Continue reading The Power of Awe
On this anniversary of the signing of the Armistice ending the First World War my thoughts have gone to wars that never end and a peace that can’t be found. The Armistice we commemorate was not a call for a German unconditional surrender. Instead it signaled a suspension of hostilities, a break in the fighting, a call for a negotiated settlement. It was neither decisive … Continue reading Surrender
“Life is only as serious or as humorous as YOU make it. Lighten up. Go play softball. Fly a kite. Dance with your dog. Smile… it makes people wonder what you’re up to.” ~ Charlie Brown I don’t want to draw too fine a point on this admission, but I learned a whole lot from reading the Peanuts comic strip growing up. I discovered early … Continue reading Life According To Charlie Brown