Recently, I got a dog. I went to the breeder’s house on a whim, never expecting to really buy a puppy. I must have been bored that day. However, within a few minutes of my arrival at the place where the puppies were, I found myself handed a black fur ball that was shaking. Two mournful eyes ...

We are about to start another year. Years are interesting markers in our lives. Like a ruler or a physical gauge, they measure. The solemn tramp of days, mornings, and sunsets. What are they measuring? They sometimes mark, with indelible ink, the story of our lives. Time is what we are given ...

We are in the middle of Advent. Most Christian churches observe four weeks before Christmas, a period of introspection and prayer to prepare for the birth of Christ on Christmas Day. The season in the church is known as Advent. The word itself comes from the Latin and means “arriving” or ...

I was at a gathering the other day, friends and friends of friends. A friendly group of people was initially comfortable with one another, but when specific issues were raised, small cracks began to appear in the peaceful evening. We had all been so social and agreeable, but when subjects were ...

I volunteer for a few hours each week at one of our local hospitals as a Chaplain. One of the things I have noticed in so many of those I visit is often anxiety. This is to be expected; hospitals make anyone uneasy, not because of the care or the hospital itself, but because it brings our ...

The season of celebration is quickly approaching, whether we realize it or not. There are subtle hints as I check out at the grocery store and see a frozen turkey in many of the shopping carts. The leaves are drifting across the road, and shallow snow is appearing on and off, reminding us that ...