I Had (Have) A Friend

Friendship is talked about…but seldom experienced. I would like to tell you about my friend. My friend grew up in another country. He was born in a small town where he was raised by an angel of a mother and a complex father. He was part of a large family. My friend became a Christian in his teen years. I first met him when he was in his early twenties and just starting a family. He had two families, and he was devoted to both of them. Please don’t imagine that he actually had two wives and two lives, no. […]

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Dense Fog

A number of years ago I remember going through a drought. I define a drought as a struggle to find meaning and purpose in what I was doing. The days seemed to drag into each other and everything in my life appeared to be laborious. I had lost energy for anything. A simple telephone call took tremendous effort and was often pushed off to the next day. Do you every feel like this? I was able to hide this situation well, and you would never have known how I was feeling if you simply were talking to me. I was […]

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Meet the Twins

Meet My Twin, J I have a friend named J.  He is always good for a great story.  J comes from a large family and has an influential father.  J grew up as the youngest child.  I come from a big family too; however, I am the oldest.  The oldest is the test case; the youngest is often the most spoiled. I also know the drama that exists with large families, but I would not want it any other way. There is always a good story in the making. I have always admired J because whatever situation he is in […]

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Hiking with Tequila

I love to hike. I could truly say that it’s one of my favorite pastimes. I could honestly do it everyday. I have had some incredible adventures throughout the years hiking. I have hiked alone, I have hiked with my wife, Lisa, I have hiked with friends, and I have hiked with strangers. My hikes have been beautiful, my hikes have been frightening, my hikes have caused injury, my hikes have been long, my hikes have been short, my hikes have been hot, and my hikes have been cold, my hikes have been…oh, you get the idea…my hikes have simply […]

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Trapped

A Floridian Beachwalk I was walking the beach one day, a pastime of mine. Living in Florida, it’s common to talk to a fellow Floridian who confesses they rarely walk the beach. I find that a travesty, akin to working in the Louvre and looking past the art or working backstage at an Elvis concert wearing headphones to keep out the noise. However, I find great solace in the beach walk experience. I’m not sure why; however, the sense I get looking out at the ocean’s horizon and experiencing a sense of wonder is addicting. Too much of my life […]

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Mack Truck

A Mudded Mind Like a Mack Truck The mind drifts when you are relaxed. I often wonder why we are designed to need a break from time to time. A day off, a long weekend, a vacation or sometimes just a rainy summer afternoon with a good book. The fact is we all need a break from time to time; we are made that way. I believe that changing your surroundings certainly helps. I remember, as a child, being mesmerized by the granite mountains called the Swiss Alps or a moss forest by a stream in North Carolina. Living in […]

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When God Shows Off

The idea birthed from a conversation Lisa and I had about what we could do for our kids at Christmas. Our family continues to grow with two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, three grandchildren and the random foster child here or there. Lisa thought laser tag in the front yard would be great fun…seriously laser tag in the front yard? I then suggested something a little more primitive, something so not us, something that would scream, “out of my comfort zone, nobody loves me.” Camping!   Camping The family, ours that is, does not have any experience in camping, no equipment, no […]

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Interruptions

My wife and I were having an important discussion a number of years ago, one of those husband and wife discussions that center on schedules, budgets, decisions, etc.  Important stuff, right? Our three-year-old daughter did not hesitate to interrupt our discussion because she was thirsty and she needed her “dink” right now.  She would not stop interrupting until we stopped our conversation to meet her immediate need. Lisa and I were out of town on vacation when our beach day was interrupted by a text from our daughter that stated, “Just so you both know… I refer to the time I was […]

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