. . . enemies. . .

I resolve. I've never been the enemy of New Year's Resolutions that some people are. My Dad was vocal about his dislike of this tradition: "You say you're going to do something and then you don't. If you really cared that much about it, you wouldn't put it off till January 1." From his perspective,...

the unloved

What is it like to be unfamiliar with the warm security of the love of a fellow human? I can't say for sure, but I imagine it to be like an arctic tundra: cold, barren, non-nourishing, and no particular points of interest. Except worse. No hope of a home somewhere offering relief. Ever felt like...

Exquisite Hope

Go back in time, a couple of millenia with me:  It is now the month of Tishri (Sept/Oct), year 3758 of the Hebrew calendar.  From this point, only 200 years ago the Ming Dynasty was building the Great Wall of China, and the Mayan civilization created a calendar.   On this tiny little blue green planet,...

The Whore

Call me Gomer. So often, I just can't figure God out. The books of Job and Hosea make it worse. Oh I get the point of the books, but I have such a problem with the thought that God used real, living breathing humans with feelings and emotions to create examples for posterity. Given the...

make. it. work.

I'm thankful for my family. No really. I am. I know that sounds trite this time of year, but hear me out. I have seen one too many families fall apart. Maybe some not so much "fell apart," as were violently but slowly and agonizingly pulled apart by seemingly invisible, giant claws. Decisions. Mine is...

commune, already

The Third Self Righteous Church of Dunkers & Sprinklers shared Holy Communion this lovely morning. It was a most solemn and reverent occasion, moving the parishioners and even the most otherwise lackadaisical or ambivalent attendees to think deep thoughts about themselves. The sacred gilded dishes were taken out of storage, dusted off, and the hardened...

mallem alibi

As I think and write tonight I am sitting on the 10th floor of Bay Lake Tower of the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. Out the window I can see "Cinderella's Castle" all lit up with icicle lights for Christmas. The fireworks show just ended. I almost always read a book to prepare for...

reflections from the belly of the whale

This could be titled Phlegm 3, but I got tired of the nasty connotations of that word. As I have sat at home today, thinking, praying, pondering, and being generally disgusted at how little I can do, I had these thoughts, mostly as a result of my time in the hospital. If I am physically...

Still Phlegm

In my last entry, I referred to my present health and career crisis as a storm. I considered and then wrote about how it built up and finally blew up. In explaining this to my present clients, I even drew a picture of a mushroom cloud as an illustration of my job situation. 44 The Lord hurled a...

phlegm

I am a pretty phlegmy, or phlegmatic, guy. I have been for some time. Funny how the two definitions of this word have collided in my microcosm here lately. I guess it was when I was in Washington DC recently that I first noticed that I was breathing harder - struggling for air more -...