Passage for Reflection: Exodus 3:1-12 I’ve been a part of many mission trips, service-learning activities, and other enrichment offerings that involved travel. For each of these occasions, participants engaged in significant planning and preparation. We felt a need to prepare to enter new spaces. While there were never any “Holy Ground Ahead” road signs, there were ample warnings. And, from the moment we stepped off of the plane or bus, we knew we had arrived on holy Read More …
perspective
Looking South – Looking Again (#1960)
In January 2018, my wife and I purchased a four story townhome on the Northwest corner of downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Our new home came with unobstructed views of downtown that we assumed would be temporary. The block immediately to our south and the majority of the next block were listed for sale as a parcel ideal for redevelopment. Plan A: Luxury Residential Tower It didn't take long for a developer to propose building a luxury residential high rise on the block immediately adjacent Read More …
Struck (#1944)
On Wednesday afternoon, I was driving from East Dallas to Mesquite for a meeting. The drive was going according to plan until it wasn't. Without warning, I was struck from behind by another SUV. Over the last few days I've reflected on the experience and the life changes that have followed: Health. Thankfully neither party was seriously injured. The many safety features on both vehicles performed as designed.Priorities. The other driver felt his next meeting so important that after Read More …
Looking Up & Looking Ahead (#1941)
Almost every day is the same; I spend most of my day looking straight ahead and a much smaller portion looking down. It is rare that I shift my visual focus upward, and rarer still for my upward gaze to persist for any length of time. On July 4, I found myself making an exception as I watched an impressive and lengthy (almost 30 minutes!) fireworks show from my home in Fort Worth, Texas. And, now, I'm recognizing that this temporary visual reorientation provided me with a larger Read More …
Stranded? (#1913)
If you are anything like me, you know what you'll be doing and when. Planning wisely is key, and executing a plan on schedule is vital. Experiencing the Unexpected Yesterday I pulled into a gas station to refuel my SUV. I pushed the button in the cabin to open the fuel door, exited my vehicle, and noticed the door had not opened. I leaned back into my vehicle, pushed the button a second time, heard the sound I assumed was the door opening. Unfortunately while my actions had been Read More …
Take Another Look (#1723)
This evening while watching the Olympics I encountered the Dunkin Donuts commercial, "The Usuals," which features several regular customers ordering "the usual." I realize that having the usual beverage at your favorite coffee place or usual lunch at the restaurant you frequent regularly is common behavior. So is driving the same route to reach your workplace each day and sitting in the same pew (or chair) for worship each weekend. Something Else I'm not against enjoying the usual elements of Read More …
Time for a New Perspective (#1656)
Last week, I relocated to a new office at work. While the move was only a few hundred feet, the change in perspective has been considerable. Think about your own experience of familiar places. How long you have been living in your current residence, worshipping in the same sacred space, and working in the same office. When did you become so comfortable in each that you stopped paying attention to some of the details? So What? Changing our physical location often allows us Read More …
Embracing New Perspectives (#1579)
My wife and I have been homeowners as long as we have been a couple with a small gap between the sale of one home and purchase of another years ago. Normal for us has been owning one home, except for temporarily owning two while in the process of relocating. When the housing bubble burst and our primary residence was so far underwater we could no longer see the surface, we chose to buy then to buy again in hopes that when the market started to rise again we could Read More …
The Adolescent Brain (#0866)
The video below is a must watch TED Talk for anyone who cares about, works/serves with, and/or is raising adolescents. TED offers the following introduction: Why do teenagers seem so much more impulsive, so much less self-aware than grown-ups? Cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how typically "teenage" behavior is caused by the growing and developing brain. So What? Blakemore provides many Read More …
One Year Later (#0297)
My life has changed a great deal over the last year: Ash Wednesday 2010 marked the final day of serving my last church. I spent most of the morning packing up my office and saying goodbye to other members of the staff. Ash Wednesday 2011 marked two and a half months working for a university. I spent most of the morning leading a workshop for faculty. As I started my Lenten journey last year I did so having just resigned from a position without having first accepted another Read More …