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I took two years of German in high school. Occasionally I will remember a word or a phrase in German which works. I am not sure I learned the the word schadenfreude from Mr. Rendon, but it is one of the words that does not have its equal in English. It literally means pain joy—taking pleasure in someone else’s misfortune. The Three Stooges made a living with these antics. For me schadenfreude is not cruel or gloating, but rather a more primal response of a need for some kind of justice. I suspect that no one who has read this…

There is nothing colder than a North wind sweeping across the Oklahoma plain in January. It bites, cuts, chills and can seem relentless. I served for five years as the Chaplain at the Enid State School for the 1000+ residents that, to one degree or another, were classified as “developmentally disabled”. We as a society have come a long way from the institutions that were at one time considered compassionate care. I replaced a chaplain who had been there 11 years and never held a service for the many residents that died on the campus. I can remember many of…

This past week I have been remembering the “church ladies” who helped to form me. This was prompted by a video my friend Arn sent, called “Church Ladies”. It was full of images from the South of the women who shaped a sense of love and ministry. It was both very funny and poignant. Recently I heard a snarky comment from someone who never lived in the 50’s and 60’s, making fun of the church of that era. The implication is that whatever we call church now is an improvement on their misconceptions and stereotypes. I will try not to…

I remember years ago, there were a number of sad incidents involving children getting hold of medications or other potentially dangerous substances. I also remember nefarious actors creating havoc, as bad things were put into medication bottles or food sources to do harm to innocents. Soon the “Child Proof” bottles were showing up in all sorts of forms. Seals were put on medications and food containers which to Mark, the thirty year old, was no real problem—the minor inconveniences were nothing compared to the harm they prevented. I am not sure exactly when I began to notice that what was…

My Uncle Paul who died last year at 98, once said to me, “Duct Tape is the greatest replacement for skill ever invented”. He then went on a litany of uses for it that proved his point. The best/worst example I ever saw of Duct Tape adapted to another function, was someone who did their entire convertible roof with Duct Tape, and then spray painted it red. I am remembering that the astronauts from Apollo 13 saved their lives with a Duct Taped vent. All of this is to offer an homage to that silver tape that saves the day.…

On New Year’s Eve morning my grandson Zach asked, “Hey grandpa, why don’t you go with me and Estrella (his dog) to the dog park”? It was a beautiful warm winter morning and I jumped at the invite. We live near three dog parks. The biggest is a couple of miles north of us. It’s called the Westminster Open Space Dog Park. It’s a couple hundred acres of dog heaven. Some days the parking lot, which holds at least 80 cars, is packed, along with the side road. This morning we got there as it was filling up. Out we…

It’s a big word… and I love what it describes. Defined by Carl Jung—“A concept of meaningful coincidences where external events align with inner thoughts/feelings without a direct causal link”. This past week I was doing a lot of remembering those very special connections that are no longer living with me. At the top of my list were my parents and my brothers. Two things will bring up those memories with emotional Intensity. Music or smells…the Christmas season is overflowing with both. I was driving back from meeting with my PCP at Kaiser. There is nothing like hearing “You are…

On Christmas break 1959, my parents signed me up for ski lessons at a Mom N’ Pop ski area north of Lake San Isabel called “Broden’s”. It consisted of a rope tow and about one half mile of a straight down hill slope. There I went all bundled up like Ralphie in the classic “A Christmas Story”. I had wooden skis, lace up boots, cable bindings and goggles that looked like something out of a sci/fi movie. We loaded up in a bus at the YMCA and headed on our adventure. I don’t remember much about the instruction we got.…

You never know when generosity will strike. Today I had to take my once very familiar one hour, sixty-one mile, drive to Greeley. I was heading to a memorial service for a very fine man, Bill Rusher. I had known Bill since I was just out of the 6th grade. We met at my first year of church camp in 1961. He grew up on a ranch outside of Ordway, Colorado. We spent five years going to camp together and then reconnected at Phillips University. When I went to interview at FCC Greeley in March of 2017, I noticed a…

It is a common belief that it is “More Blessed to Give then to Receive”. I have found that it is also easier. Many years ago a very wise and insightful elder at the church I was serving in Pueblo said to me, “Mark, why are you so resistent to letting me give you a hug”? I had no answer in that moment, her question haunted me. It was not long after that, that I said to her “Lolita I will try to be better at letting you give me a hug”. Clearly, I learned that receiving made me feel…