One of the blessings of retirement is travel. Oftentimes we hold back during our working years thinking, “I’ll just wait ‘til I retire--then my bags will be packed.” I recently traveled on a tour of Japan, an intriguing country long on our bucket list of international destinations. More on that in a moment. But suffice it to say that travel helps us learn, explore, and (hopefully) change our perspective. All of these are preconditions to release our creative juices, even as we age.
It is amazing how much we relate and respond to, interact with and use colors. Long ago I heard about research that showed that churches with blue carpet gave more money..
Clergy life in December feels like one of those Facebook memes that say “if you know, you know.” First there is the obvious additional pressure of leading worship during..
At eleven-thirty p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Dad began to prepare. He helps Mom to gently ease off the pretty Wittnauer wristwatch he gave her for their anniversary. He..
I was standing on the deck of the USS Winston - one of the Navy’s finest cargo carriers getting underway at the San Diego Naval Station in June of 1953.
I love watching the British television series “Call the Midwife” which is currently in its 13th season. The series is based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs of her nursing..
Advent was an important time in our family. I am an only child, so my memories are about small gatherings. Our church prepared a series of weekly meditations for..
These holidays from the end of November through the new year stress me out. This is not related to any past trauma or grief around this time of year, but the conflict..
On November 23rd, this year, I will celebrate my 92nd birthday with the same words I’ve been using for the past few years: “Where DID the time go? What did I do with the..
What is fair? What do we really mean when we say (usually with our hands clenched and our faces grimacing), “It’s Not Fair!”
