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…

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

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…

We never know what might await us as we embark on journeys, even if the journey is a short business trip. This business trip would begin on a Wednesday morning, driving south through South Boston and Danville to Greensboro, where I would speak to a group of CFO’s before heading to Salisbury to have dinner with clients, and then driving the additional hour south to Charlotte, where I would spend some time with my good friend Pete.  The trip would end on Friday with a client meeting in Asheville, North Carolina followed by a 7 hour drive back home.  On Thursday, while meeting with a client, the CEO asked if I…

I found this post from May of 2020 - when we were really feeling the impact of the pandemic. I think the advice is still relevant today.