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Yesterday Susanne and I spent a few hours with three couples. It was nice to reconnect and reminisce and, of course, laugh.   As an adult, I had a head start with making friends. I was a pastor and therefore had a congregation full of people who were friends.  As a newly retired person living in places for the first time, we are discovering that you must work on friend-making…

As I review and take stock of my life, a couple of things stand out: the presence of God and the wonderful people He has placed in my life.  As I was reading Paul’s prayer and introduction in the book of 2 Thessalonians I was impressed by the way he prayed for others.  In his prayer/intro to the book I saw that He prays for three things regarding the people…

  Susanne and I agreed to conduct a worship or church service for a few weeks at an assisted living facility in Bradenton, Florida.  The facility is new, and they have not found anyone to provide this service.  Some dear friends of mine from Fort Wayne, Indiana days are residents there, so when the activities director contacted me, we agreed to see if this was something we should do for…

I have been reading the book A Praying Life by Paul E Miller.  I have enjoyed it, though it has sometimes made me uncomfortable. I do recommend the book.  It has stretched my thinking regarding prayer.  Along with the book, I have been wondering about prayer.  One problem with prayer is that it feels so passive, and most of us are activists.  If there is a problem, we tackle it…

These words begin the chorus from the song Blessed Assurance by Fanny Crosby.  Fanny Crosby was a prolific hymn writer, having composed around 8,000 hymns in her lifetime.  This song’s origin differs somewhat from how Fanny usually wrote hymn lyrics.  Her friend Mrs. Phoebe Knapp visited her and went to the piano and played a musical arrangement that she had written.  After playing the song, she asked her friend, “what…

How often have I made this statement, “What a Mess?”  I have said this regarding situations personally, professionally, relationally, financially, and nearly every other conceivable possibility.   Messes seem to be a part of life.  My default over the years when facing a mess was to search the landscape for someone to blame.  My thinking has been in this bit of a mess; this has to be the result of…

    How many times have I been in this place?  You know, out with the old and in with the new?  It just automatically calls for reflection.  Often, we remember the bad, the hurtful, and the embarrassing. It is also easy to glide past the joyous, hopeful, and encouraging things that transpired over the last twelve months. I am not in favor of ignoring the pain but not hanging…

  Susanne and I just returned from a nine-hundred-mile four-state trip.  It started when we flew to Madison, Wisconsin, and then drove a few miles to attend a Christmas party with pastors and their families.  We visited with our friend Dr. Kevin Donley who was in hospice care.  We joined up with fellow district superintendents and spouses. The next leg was to visit with our son and Kelly, where we…