Occasionally, when I am walking, I see something that catches my attention. There are not any specific things that I look for—it’s usually just something out of the ordinary than causes me to want to investigate further. If I am walking, I make mental note of it and circle back to it later to discover…
““I used to be afraid of failing at something that really mattered to me, but now I’m more afraid of succeeding at things that don’t matter.” ― Bob Goff, Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World For most of my adult life, I have aspired to be a good time manager. I am…
“Paradoxically, the challenges of our day-to-day existence are substantial reminders that our life of faith simply must have its center somewhere other than in our ability to hold it together in our minds.”[1] Peter Enns Today, I find myself in an interesting place. For the first time in 25 years, I find myself transitioning between…
About three years ago, I started eating a vegan diet. The reasons weren’t really ethical. The main reason was that, at age 50, I was beginning to have some worrisome health issues just like my father and grandfather. To make it more relevant, my brother-in-law dropped dead of heart condition while at the gym working…
There is something of a drive in all of us. When we believe something, we want everyone to believe it. I imagine part of the reason is because it has “saved” us in some way. I feel that way about my plant-based lifestyle. I feel like eating differently has literally saved my life and restored…
The events in the Tea Shop were hard to put in chronological order, but I think it happened just after we began to share tea and before his wife brought out the food. He just stood up and began demonstrating what Tanya described as part of his “practice.” To be clear, he wasn’t describing his…
I’ve noticed when most people talk about their spouses or their children, they talk a lot about them being the “best.” I may have even done that in this series of essays. If I did, please scold me later. It’s most evident when people say, “my wife (or husband) is my best friend!” Personally, I…
Occasionally, my dog Winston reminds me of who he is and most of the time it irritates me. Just a few minutes ago, he nudged me when he wanted me to go in a different direction. I yell at him because I surmise that “one day you are going knock me down.” He just looks…
I have always been able to relate to the “one and only son” reference in the Bible. Although my daughters have a most special place in my heart, I only have one son and that makes it special in a different way. He is also my firstborn, so there is that different dynamic. But, the…
I can’t imagine what a trip to Taiwan would be like without a host. Many of the people there speak English, but it would still be much more difficult without a host that was interested in making our trip better. My son met Tanya and Phil through the Taiwanese family that ran the restaurant where…
The Desert Sanctuary 