A Home Blessing–and Everywhere Else, Too. April 30, 2012

A day at home. What luxury! I did not go anywhere today beyond our yard, except to walk with Jonathan and Cocoa in the early morning. I love my work as Pastor of MCC Richmond–nobody feels more blessed by and alive to his work than I do–and as President of People of Faith for Equality [...]

Nine Short, Nineteen to Go April 12, 2012

Some readers may remember my post last fall when I revealed my goal of losing 38 pounds–going from 238 to 200–by Easter 2012. Well, I weighed myself on the morning of April 8, and the scale said 209. I lost 29 pounds–pretty good in 7 months–but not my goal weight. But I am not discouraged. [...]

More Network, or Not? March 16, 2012

I appreciate much about various new technologies. I am well “synched”with my wonderful iPhone. I love texting, including sending prayers to church members (what I call “prxting”). Face Time with my granddaughter Juna every week is a major high point.  I use email a lot–from my PC and my phone. I Skype with my daughter in [...]

Pay Close Attention January 19, 2012

I really like my iPhone 4s, but there are moments when I think it may be too smart for me, or its own good. I texted Jonathan this message this morning, “Picked up your mess.” Fortunately, I noticed the message right after I sent it, and sent a correction. The correction was simple: “meds!” As the [...]

A Good Pot of Beans January 5, 2012

I made a pot beans last night. This is not unusual for me–I make a crockpot of beans about every two weeks. I truly enjoy rice and beans and eat them a few times each week. But something changed. I did not use tomatoes. Actually, let me be more specific. I made a pot of [...]

What’s the Big Deal? December 8, 2011

What’s in a number? Sometimes, not much. Other times, a lot. The numbers in Washington are daunting. It used to be, when I was much younger, that millions were a lot. Then it became billions. Now it is trillions. So what is the big deal for me about 218? I weighed myself Monday morning–I do [...]

Quality over Quantity December 7, 2011

We survived Black Friday. At least, I hope you did. No mace in your face, I trust. I have been thinking a lot about how out of control things seem to be. Could it be that we, or at least many of us, are following the wrong path? Instead of seeing shopping–often called consumer spending [...]

WOW! October 13, 2011

I have had a crazy few days. I think today will be no exception to what the past several days have been. It is almost as if after a quiet birthday on Monday, God, or the universe, turned up the speed on the treadmill and said, “Get a move on it, buster!” And yet, in [...]

Go, Emily! October 12, 2011

I talked to my daughter Emily last evening. She is teaching in a Montessori school in Mexico City. It is her first year teaching and it is rough. She enjoys the work–it feels like her life’s work–but it is very hard. I have never known a first-year teacher who did not feel that way. Her [...]

So What’s Not to Celebrate? September 22, 2011

Jonathan and I are doing some celebrating–dinner out last night (and not at Joe’s or Panera) and a day off tomorrow (originally planned as a beach day, but now it seems we will do VMFA and a movie and dinner and maybe a little for-fun shopping). Why? We marked 14 years of marriage on September [...]