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For whatever reason, I am able to distinctly remember certain dates over the past almost 72 years. This last Monday I marked a 40 year milestone in my life. It was a Sunday that I jumped in my Toyota Tercel and pulled out of Enid, Oklahoma on that day in 1981. I had resigned my position as the Chaplain of Enid State School, resigned from my adjunct professor role in the seminary, and waited my last table at the Pepper Mill Steak House. I was broken and defeated. My marriage had ended, my brother had been killed, and I decided…

For as long ago as I can remember, one of my favorite experiences is to sit by a body of water and let my mind and heart listen. This past week I was given the chance to do it twice. First on my road trip to California, to celebrate granddaughter Sofia’s second birthday, I sat by the Pacific Ocean. Today, just 16 miles from my home, I went to Eldorado Canon and spent 30 minutes next to a rushing-with-spring-runoff creek.Our companion on the road trip to California was our grandson Makaio, who said he had a great time with two…

“The Darwin Awards are a tongue-in-cheek honor originating in Usenetnewsgroup discussions around 1985. They recognize individuals who havesupposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out ofthe gene pool by dying or becoming sterilized via their own actions”.If you have not followed these yearly awards you might Google them upand have a look into the depths of human actions at the intersection wheretragedy and humor meet. I am known in my family as a potential candidatefor such actions as: slipping on my own banana peel while stepping off acurb, and landing in front of an oncoming bus.Here’s the story—We had…

“On the road again,Just can’t wait to get on the road againThe life I love is making music with my friendsAnd I can’t wait to get on the road again On the road againGoin’ places that I’ve never beenSeein’ things that I may never see again And I cant wait to get on the road again…Thirteen months after house arrest in Covid world, I ventured out on a two week road trip to Texas. MK and I had our grandson Matias in the back seat, and we took a 789 mile drive to return him home after a Spring Break…

“TAILGATING, Turn Signals and Driving Slow in the Passing Lane”I learned to drive 55 years ago. I have never had an accident that was my fault, and I finally got a speeding ticket after 23 years of “never getting caught”. I had a Five Star rating with nearly 6,000 Lyft rides. I used to say that Colorado drivers were great drivers and not like the aggressive maniacs I had encountered driving in LA or Texas. That is no longer the case. I am not sure whether it is the influx of “foreigners to Colorado” or “too many rats in the…

It is probably no surprise to any of you who have blessed me by reading these snippets that I am a “Fall (Autumn) guy”. Perhaps that is because Spring in Colorado is a mix of glorious warmth mixed in with blizzards, wind, and hard freezes that kill peaches, flowers, and create a certain angst. Today, Spring came in the middle of the night, a day early in my world. Well, for a first day of Spring it did not disappoint. Yes, tomorrow we are expecting 4-6 inches of snow. There is still a rather huge drift in my front yard…

In three days I will have been on the Covid 19 patrol for one year. Today I am 14 days beyond my second shot, and according to great science I am less than 1% vulnerable to any severe consequences.For 10 years I have been giving the introductory lecture to two sections of the Comparative Religions class at Denver East High. My topic is “What is Religion and how do I understand my faith”. Invariably, I am asked about the conflict between science and religion. My answer is— “I have no conflict with great science and honest theology/faith”. I would often…

I confess I have taken it upon myself to remind, ask, challenge, confront, and even harass folks who ignore the responsibility of wearing masks for all of our benefit during this Covid pandemic. Early, on this nearly year— long journey, there were honest debates and opinions about the efficacy of mask wearing for Covid mitigation. The facts are in—masks work at slowing and even stopping the spread of the virus. I go with science every time and the science is clear—wear a mask—always in any social or public situation.About a month ago I went to MK’s credit union to make…

Blizzards, Ice Storms and Interruptions The following is a list of frozen water events that I have experienced since 1958.   I’ll briefly describe each one, as I have been experiencing the recent Texas winter events through the lenses of my daughter Amy and family, who live in the middle of the recent Texas winter storms. Pueblo Blizzard of 1958 April 1 & 2—19” of record setting snow: In 1958 I was in the 3rd grade that Spring.  I remember very distinctly going to bed in what was a complete white-out.  It was exciting.  The next morning I awoke to…

Today I shared in a funeral for an 81 year old woman who died exactly 21 years to the day, of my dad’s death. Over 10 years ago she was diagnosed with the signs of early dementia. I met her and her husband soon after I started my pastorate with FCC Greeley. They were not members at FCC, but as it was explained to me she loved music and the church where they were attending did not offer much. They would come and sit near the back on my left side. She was always pleasant but right away I noticed…