Tag Archives: appreciation

T + P + C = H

Posted on by under Encouragement, Journey, Uncategorized

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:

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The End Of An Era

Posted on by under Encouragement, Journey, Life, Love, Memories, Uncategorized

at least in My mind….

As high school kids are graduating into the next phase of their lives, many will carry life experiences that have transformed them so far in their young lives. Some are just happy to walk the stage or receive their diploma.

Yet there are others who have tried new things in their younger years and may not realize the impact it will have in their future careers, relationships, and thought processes. I feel excited for many of them as their journey is much different these days.

I share similar emotions as teachers of many of the graduating students. While I may not have been a full-time instructor (I commend those who have the tenacity to teach our next generation), I do reflect upon many of the special children that were in my care from a different type of background.

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Rough Start To Our Vacation

Posted on by under Funny, Holiday, Life, Memories

(this is the first of a series of stories from our recent cruise adventure)

Packing our suitcases, checking our list of necessary items for the trip, trying to stay healthy, and arranging for drop-off and pick-up transportation. All this for the start of our first cruise down the Pacific Coastline on the Grand Princess!

Excitement grew as each day drew closer to our embarkation date of April 1. Nothing was going to deter us from our wonderfully planned voyage. I was exceptionally excited as this would be my family’s first cruise ever! Finally, we could see what this cruising-lifestyle is all about.

Saturday morning arrived. We had to wait for my older son and his wife to arrive so that we can carpool together into San Francisco. Last-minute preparations and the loading of suitcases into the car with some extra room for their luggage.

My phone buzzed – it was my son calling probably to let me know they were almost here. Upon answering my phone, I heard the words that would deflate my enthusiasm.

Dad, we have a problem.

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Hidden Damage

Posted on by under God, Journey, Life, Uncategorized

The drive was uneventful as I returned home from a business seminar. The early afternoon welcomed me with cloudy skies and the occasional sunlight. My time schedule afforded me only an hour to get home, set up my laptop for my online webinar, and contact the potential customer with a link to my website.

Traffic was good as I cruised over the bridge and onto a major freeway. The digital clock on my car’s dashboard displayed a calming “1:15pm” – plenty of time!

A text message appeared on my phone – I know it is unwise to read my text while driving so I gave Siri a command to read me the message. It was from my potential client.

Postponed for now! Oh well, I can now go to my chiropractor given the cancelled appointment.

Love the flexibility of my work schedule. In fact, I decided to exit the freeway and use the backroads to relax and get in the mood for my appointment.

Uh oh!

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Little Mary (part 2)

Posted on by under Encouragement, God, Memories, Uncategorized

You might be wondering why this is part-2 of my previous blog entitled “Little Mary”.

To fully understand the impact of the story written in part-1, you have to read the letter written in 2010 from this little girl (who was a three-year seasoned performer by now with Kidz Praise).

The letter was written as a class assignment and the comment at the bottom came from her teacher. The letter is written here in the original format (misspellings and all) …

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A Lifetime Ago…

Posted on by under Encouragement, Journey, Life, Memories

Have you ever had a reunion of old friends in which, aside from a few gray hairs, you all looked the same as you did 30+ years ago?

This was what happened to me recently.

After a memorial service of a friend who suddenly passed away, I saw two old classmates from high school and church. Sure, I may have lost my long thick hair but in my eyes, we all looked the same! Excited to see each other and our spouses, we decided to arrange a get-together a couple of weeks later.

Trading email messages and Facebook chats, we finally settled on a mutual date for this event – Saturday night. Continue reading →

A Familiar Look…

Posted on by under Bereavement, Encouragement, God, Journey, Life, Love, Memories, Uncategorized

We attended the funeral service of a dear sister in Christ who was suddenly taken home at the end of August. She was only 55 years young and was full of life. She had a conversation with her brother the night before she passed and everything seemed normal.

She leaves behind a humble and wonderful husband and two grown daughters who are just beginning their lives in the world. Nothing prepared them for this unexpected loss. I was very shocked to hear this news (as many were as well) and could not wrap my mind around the finality of the situation.

The funeral service was amazing and celebrated her life in a beautiful way. Continue reading →