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Downtown….

“When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, You can always go…Downtown” – Downtown by Petula Clark

They were small in stature but lived a big life. For my uncle and aunt, size did not matter! Both stood five-feet or less yet they enjoyed life to the fullest!

I had the honor and privilege of attending one of the more memorable services in my lifetime. What a blessing to live with your best friend, forever lover, mother of your children, and the most beautiful woman you have ever laid eyes on.

This was the love story of two people who overcame many obstacles and chose to see life as a joyous occasion no matter the circumstances.

So what is with the old pop song Downtown?

Here is my tribute to my aunt and uncle…. Continue reading “Downtown….”

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The Caregiver’s Gift

I was a guest at a party last weekend. There were plenty of people I did not know but we were all there to celebrate a mutual friend’s retirement as an educator. The food was plentiful, the drinks were flowing, and laughter filled the air. It was a fun celebration and I was happy to be a part of it all.

When I filled my plate with food, I looked for a place to sit down. So many smiling faces and you could tell that this long-time educator was loved by many people.

Aha!

There was a seat on the couch with a TV tray waiting for my presence. I did not want to steamroll others so I patiently stood still for a few seconds in case someone else saw the same opportunity.

Will you look at the time?! Five seconds were up! No takers!

I walked across the room and carefully placed my plate on the tray. Before I sat down, I introduced myself to a couple who were already seated next to this same area. They were pleasant and the conversation flowed effortlessly. We were interrupted only one time when another friend stopped by to say hello to them.

When they returned to our own little conversation, she mentioned that they knew of two couples in their social circle who were undergoing cancer battles.

Then it hit me.

Continue reading “The Caregiver’s Gift”

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Goodbye 2017!!!

As another year winds down, it is a time of reflection on what transpired during the past twelve months. Did our New Years Resolutions get the best of us again? Did we accomplish our BHAG’s (big hairy audacious goals)? How many new friends did we encounter along the way? What new births did we say hello to? How many have we said goodbye to?

It saddens my heart when people tell me that “not much happened to me this year.”  How are these people living? Do they really ignore all the little things that happen on a regular basis? We all have our stories to tell each and every year.

This was the reason I chose to use this picture to represent our lives. Hope you will find your own journey in this post.

Continue reading “Goodbye 2017!!!”

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E.R. Visit – Part Two (Sight for Sore Eye)

During my hospital stay, my right eye was nearly swollen shut. It was a challenge relying on only one eye to see everything around me. The doctors continued to prescribe different antibiotics into my IV line to determine the most effective solution.

Trypanophobia, the fear of needles, is something I have always struggled with. Little known fact – I almost did not get married the first time due to a silly requirement to have a blood test – seriously!

Now I simply look away but in the case of my recent hospital stay, I could not see the needle anyway!!! I would not recommend getting a swollen eye as a remedy to cure Trypanophobia.

Why?

Eventually you will see again and those needles will not go away! Hel-lo!!!!

Here were the challenges I faced with my one functioning eye, the IV port stuck into my left arm, and wearing those wonderful non-skid hospital socks…

Continue reading “E.R. Visit – Part Two (Sight for Sore Eye)”

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Beauty and The Beast

I have been learning how to be a better husband and displacing my selfish needs in exchange for enhancing my wife’s life and well-being. Most men need to improve their thought process in their relationships with their wives, fiancé, or girlfriends (whichever situation you are at the present time).

So what am I doing to improve my marriage?

Dating my wife each week of course.

We spend our Wednesday afternoons enjoying each other’s company. Dates do not always have to cost money (great news guys)!

The other day, we decided to stay home and watch a movie on Netflix. We agreed to watch Beauty and The Beast as we had missed it at the theater. It was fun to see the human actors and actresses reenact the movie.

When the movie ended, something dawned on me.

Continue reading “Beauty and The Beast”

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Joseph’s Story

Have you ever read the full story of Joseph in the Bible?

A descendant of Jacob, Joseph was sold into slavery at the age of 17. His step-brothers hated him as he revealed his dream that one day, they would all bow down to this younger brother.  He was Jacob’s favorite son and was given a coat of many colors. Some of you may remember the stage play Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

As a side note for many of my old SF church friends – I have many fond memories of performing Dreamer – What Really Happened to Joseph every weekend for months! In spite of the loss of one of our brothers, we chose to live on.

Joseph’s life endured many twists and turns until he finally became second in command in Egypt – only the Pharaoh had more authority. This was unheard of for a foreigner to rule Egypt. However, God used Joseph to interpret dreams that would one day save Egypt and Israel by storing up a percentage of harvest in the good years and rationing the food in the lean years.

Joseph definitely had the courage to live on in spite of his circumstances. Here is what I have learned from this Bible series. Continue reading “Joseph’s Story”

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T + P + C = H

What is this?

No, it is not a new texting acronym nor is it a chemical formula or advanced math calculation.

So what am I trying to say with these four letters? What do they represent?

For those of you who have been following this blog site, you understand that this is my journey of courage through some rather difficult circumstances and events in my life. Time has moved forward yet the wounds still seem fresh every now and then.

If you ever experienced loss in your life, this message is for you. Here is the translation:

Continue reading “T + P + C = H”