Don’t miss the trees
The old canard goes, "Don't miss the forest for the trees", an admonishment to take in the big picture. But don't miss the trees. In our desire to understand the pattern of the big picture, we miss tiny, beautiful things…
This year, I need Advent in my life
Santa and Mrs. Claus showed up at Chick-fil-A two days after Thanksgiving, looking totally relaxed. Perhaps all their holiday cookies are made and in the freezer; presents are wrapped and ready to go. Now their only job is to greet…
National Hammock Day
Saturday was National Hammock Day. Not that I needed encouraging. I own three. I’m a fan of Hatteras Hammocks, the traditional cotton rope with an oak spreader. My favorite is a single hammock on our screen porch. I nap in…
Blessed and Blessing: the Stranger among us
In the very first book of the Bible, we discover something essential about hospitality. It’s not optional. When strangers pass by Abraham and Sarah’s dwelling, Abraham quickly provides provisions, food and drink, a place to wash and stay. In Abraham’s…
Offering a leg up the ladder to a resilient life
How do today’s Millennials prepare for a resilient life? David Brooks wrote a marvelous column recently on the value of “thick” organizations. In “How to Leave a Mark on People,” he described an institution that “becomes part of a person’s…
Sacrifice Fly
At the funeral of a great baseball fan, the presider commented that our faith life is a lot like baseball. Baseball, he said, like our spiritual life, is all about getting home. Even though we start at home plate, we…
More than one shining moment
“Give Thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day”. Coach John Wooden As the big basketball tournament begins, my thoughts turn to legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Wooden loved to quote Abraham Lincoln, who said, “If we magnified…
Take Time to Wonder
“Take care to wonder at the world through which you wander. Never hurry by an open door. For you live in a universe with miracles galore.” Old Irish Hymn If we were truly honest with ourselves, we spend more time…
Called to be Light and Salt
On the day after my daughter was married, I saw a sundog. We were driving to the local bagel shop to pick up breakfast for 20, on that bright blue-sky morning when the air temperature fell to -22˚F. The rising…
Holding Things Together
I started wearing a safety pin on my lapel after the election. My friend Rex mentioned that the pins offered an invitation to people who are afraid that you’re ready to help them. Some people in Great Britain started wearing…
