Notes from El Salvador

It was just a little chapel in a garden setting. The small care center for terminal cancer patients

Now is the Winter of Our Discontent

My friend told me that when he was a student at the UW his dorm held an annual awards banquet. Every

Serendipity for Christmas

Serendipity- that is something I might encourage others to look for in their lives. Now there is lau

 

Notes from El Salvador

September 29, 2011 in Uncategorized

It was just a little chapel in a garden setting. The small care center for terminal cancer patients was run by Carmelite nuns. I probably would have missed the unassuming driveway and entrance if we weren’t looking for it. 31 years ago the Archbishop of San Salvador moved out of the palace and made his [...]

Now is the Winter of Our Discontent

May 4, 2011 in Uncategorized

My friend told me that when he was a student at the UW his dorm held an annual awards banquet. Every person was “awarded” and acknowledged by the group. When his name was called he went up to the podium and was handed a piece of paper naming him “Most Discontented”. Years later sitting in [...]

Serendipity for Christmas

December 6, 2010 in Uncategorized

Serendipity- that is something I might encourage others to look for in their lives. Now there is laughter down the hall. It still surprises me a little. But that’s what happens when God breaks into our world and makes everything new again. Why is it that I can dim my attitudes and lower my expectations [...]

“In Sickness and in Health…”

May 27, 2010 in Uncategorized

“To everything there is a season…” The ancient Bible texts said it- the Byrds sang it and we live it. As I write this, there are five special friends in my life who are navigating the turbulent waters of cancer. All five were passionate, creative young adults in our ministry at University Presbyterian Church, twenty [...]

“Aiti Mon Cherie”

January 19, 2010 in Uncategorized

Ever since I grew up in West Africa, I dream of returning to the Cameroons and reconnecting with my childhood. My dad in his practical way, advised me to save money- “just go to Haiti. It looks feels and smells like Africa but it’s cheaper to visit.” I took his advise and found myself surprisingly [...]

Stereotypes R Us

September 29, 2009 in Uncategorized

A few weeks ago I was down on Aurora Blvd. getting a radio put in our car. Aurora is a stretch of strip malls that runs from Seatac airport in the south, all the way to Everett in the north. It could be described as a ‘working area’ since some of the men are working [...]

Time to Get Busy Being Born

July 6, 2009 in Uncategorized

Sitting in the Pastor’s office at old First Church was a bit intimidating.  I was a college student seeking advise from the Pastor of my home church. I  had lots of energetic, pre-seminary, business management major, know-it-all enthusiasms. Having just written a paper on “Management by Objectives” I dropped a few key phrases into the [...]

Not All Beauty is Peaceful

May 30, 2009 in Uncategorized

Looking out over the Puget Sound from our deck, I am continually captured by the beauty and the apparent peacefulness of the water.  That got me thinking that actually not a lot of life is both beautiful and peaceful. While in Zambia exploring ministry partnerships to help AIDS orphans, we were invited to detour a [...]

Es La Vida- a view from Guatemala

March 16, 2009 in Uncategorized

“When God wants to teach us something he takes us on a trip.” Bruce Larson taught me that many years ago and it still rings true today.  Speaking of today, I’m writing this from my little room in Guatemala, where I am studying Spanish, meeting folks from all over this little world of ours, and [...]

A National Holiday of Grace

January 6, 2009 in Uncategorized

I usually think of New Year’s with a certain amount of indifference.  What is the big deal anyway? Isn’t it just an artificial time to pretend to be happy, and get in some time drinking and waiting for the magic moment when we start anew?  But wait… how can I be cynical about any chance [...]