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South Africa Trip – 5.2.23
So, our next travel adventure begins – South Africa. Last year friends of ours graciously invited us to spend a week with them in the Kariega Game Reserve, a private reserve located near Port Elizabeth in the southern part of the country. So, Elizabeth and I spent 15 hours suspended 40,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean on a flight to the Southern tip of Africa. We landed in Cape Town, where we will spend a few days before flying to Port Elizabeth, where we will be shuttled to Kariega. Located in the shadow of Table Mountain, Cape Town is considered one of the most beautiful spots in the world. So, we…
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Carter and Love of Movies 3.14.23
As most of my friends know, our youngest son Carter loves movies. He has for as long as I can remember. I will never forget when Elizabeth got a call from Carter’s 3rd Grade teacher informing her that the class was studying Roman history. The teacher, who at the time was dating one of my subordinates at work, knew Elizabeth and me socially. And because of that familiarity, she felt comfortable calling Elizabeth to tell her what transpired next in her class. The teacher informed Elizabeth that during the discussion of Roman history Carter’s friend Jake told the class that he had seen “Gladiator” with Carter at the Franklin’s house.…
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Reading and Catching Dreams 4.5.23
Dear James, You love letters. I do not know why you love letters. But you do. One day you will realize that those 26 foam letters that you love to arrange on the tub during bath time can be used to create magic, because when strung together, they create art that has no equal. As the Bible states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is indeed powerful. All people love stories. Unfortunately, as asserted by a recent New York Times article, our current education system focuses more on teaching reading as an analytical skill instead of a…
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Humility 3.19.23
During this Lenten Season, our Church asked for volunteers to provide a reflection on the Lenten Gospel Readings. We were told to keep the reflection to less than 200 words. Being loquacious, both verbally and with the written word, I entered this holy endeavor intent on listening, reflecting, and finding one message, out of the many in this passage, that resonated with me. Elizabeth volunteered to provide a reflection on today’s reading, March 19th. So, together we read the Gospel of John, Chapter 9, where Jesus heals a man born blind. I invite you to read all 41 verses after reading the following reflection. Worldviews are dear to us. During…
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Review of “The Book of Joy “ 2.27.23
One of my book clubs recently decided to read “The Book of Joy – Lasting Happiness In A Changing World.” Written by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the book attempts to answer the question: How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? After identifying many obstacles to joy, including fear, stress, anger, grief, illness and death, the authors make the argument that the ultimate source of joy is within each of us. What do the authors mean by this? One could mistakenly interpret their statement that we should focus on ourselves to create happiness and joy. They make it very clear that paradoxically, if…
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Poems from 2013
Five poems written 10 years ago on empathy, lost dreams, seeing people differently, gratitude, and starting over.
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A Daily Morning Prayer 1.3.23
Many of us have much to be thankful for as we begin a new calendar year. I thought I would share a prayer of thanks that I often use during a moment of silence or when meditating. It is my go-to prayer and covers everything for me. I will also share what each item I am thankful for means to me. Dear God Thank you for my life Thank you for my wife Thank you for my time Thank you for my mind Thank you for my health Thank you for my wealth As it was in the beginning, is now and forever, universe without end. Amen
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The Perfect Gift – Christmas 2022
Dear James, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree….” This story from the book of Luke is read to us every Christmas and most of us now know it by heart. But do we really know how it ends? Or is the end just the beginning? I was listening to a podcast when those questions popped into my head. The purpose of this specific podcast was to educate the listener on how to give the perfect gift. And it starts with reminding us that “gift giving is as old as humanity – to express love, offer admiration and obtain favors.” So, if gift giving is so important, why…
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Discussing “From Strength to Strength” by Arthur Brooks
A Discussion of Arthur Brooks' Book "From Strength to Strength - helping people find greater happiness as they age and change. Given at Christ Church Episcopal.
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November 25, 2022 – Black Friday – Ten Years Later
Dear James, It is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Although there are conflicting theories on why this day is called Black Friday, most people do agree that it started in the 1980s when someone decided that this day was the official start of the Christmas shopping season. And because it was such a big shopping day, someone also decided that most merchants do not turn a profit for the year until this day, officially putting them in “the black”, which means making a profit, versus being in “the red”, which means suffering a financial loss. And so, the term “Black Friday” was born. And since then, for some people,…
