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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

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… Continue reading

Some of my stories write themselves. Others are more like trying to climb a Colorado “Fourteener”. This one in particular has taken two weeks to come together. It’s not an overly complicated narrative but it penetrates deep into one of the more painful and special journeys I have ever shared. Brad and I and about… Continue reading