Serve by Design

I have been eating Mars’ M&M’s chocolate candy for years! In every serving, I have enjoyed eating all six colors – brown, green, orange, red, yellow, and blue – of these delectable candies that “melt in your mouth and not in your hand!” However, those who know me best will tell you that I favor the blue ones most of all. My secret goes back many years until I was outed by some preacher friends with whom I met weekly in a small group. Imagine that?! Blue Makes Me Happy! During one of those meetings, a friend had spread a selection of M&M’s from his stash out on the table for the taking. I looked at the multiple-colored candies and immediately began to retrieve several blue ones and lined them up before me. This friend looked at me incredulously and asked, “What are you doing?” I answered sheepishly because by now everyone was staring at me, “I’m gathering the blue ones. They’re my favorite!” He said something like, “You’re crazy! They all taste the same!” From that day until ...

Did you hear about the skunk who went to church? He had his own pew! I know, I hear some of your sighing, “That’s not even funny!” Blame this bad joke on my desperate attempts to surf online for something lighthearted about church pews. How about this? What do you get when you cross a shark with a skunk? The answer is - as far as way as possible! But that’s not my goal! Image: adobe.stock.com On a serious note, I have been trying to get folks to sit in the same pew each Lord’s Day. And if the church uses individual chairs, I’m encouraging folks to sit in the same area. I recently made this audacious remark from the pulpit during our traditional service, “These are my people!”   I said this as I pointed to where my wife was sitting with a group of Sunday morning friends, and then added, “That’s the pew we are purchasing!” I have been emboldened by this suggestion to sit in a certain proximity because of a dear couple in our church who modeled this for years. And it paid dividends...

I rarely use an alarm clock except on those occasions in the middle of the night when we are trying to make a 6:00am flight out of the St. Louis airport two hours away. One of us sets the alarm feature on our smartphones to make sure we get to our destination on time. I do know there is a snooze button on some alarm clocks that can ease the pain, if only temporarily, that accompanies a two or three o’clock a.m. wake-up time. I’ve always been afraid to try that feature out! Image: Shutterstock Recently, we were dispatched to our daughter’s house to join other family members in saying goodbye to her twin sister (our other daughter!) and her family as they headed home to New Mexico. When we arrived, everyone was up and moving around awaiting the final departure. They were bathed, dressed and waiting for the pics to document the occasion. Yes, some were a little blurry eyed, but not our youngest grandson, Dawson! This boy is always good with his words. Because of his propensity for story...

My dad was known for his sayings, and the older I get I can see how I am following in his steps. One of my favorite exclamations came about when the twins started dating and bringing their boyfriends over at the house during the evening. I loved having them safely under our roof, but around nine o’clock, we were ready to turn in for the night! I would step into the family room with this warning to the girls and my future sons-in-laws: “We’re heading to the back. Don’t make me a part of your evening!” It was my way of saying, “Keep it down to a low roar! I’m going to sleep! Don’t make me get up and come in here!” Fav Cup from Mom and Dad's! Reminders of home, conversation, and love! That was then. This is now. These girls are in their early forties. One lives here in town with us and the other lives in New Mexico. They still love being together! The combined number is no longer four including spouses! There are eleven of them not counting the NextGen boyfriend! They love coming ho...

I have become an advocate for the next generation of leaders. You’ve heard it said, “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders!” I like what I see in today’s youth! That’s why I seldom turn down an opportunity to engage and be with them. This past week, I participated in a youth police camp sponsored by the local American Legion and the Illinois State Police. It was on the beautiful campus of Camp Lincoln here in Springfield, Illinois. This was my third year serving as an ISP chaplain and taking part in the camp graduation ceremony! Homemade Blackberry Pie Thanks, Sis!! The State Police Youth Academy was first conducted in July of 1972. Each year since, young men and women are invited and sponsored to participate in an intensive week of physical training, classroom instruction in law enforcement, field trips to interesting sites, and recreation that bonds them with new friends. They learn about discipline, teamwork, and respect for themselves and others. During this year’s ceremony, a ver...