Serve by Design

This is the time of year in which our well-wishes turn from Christmas to New Years. We have spent this past month of December wishing everyone a "Very Merry Christmas!" Now with the turning of the calendar, our sentiments are expressed as wishes for a "Happy and Prosperous New Year!" The dictionary defines a wish as "a desire or hope for something to happen." We bless others with a positive wish for good things to come to our family and friends. This is the often repeated expression of the New Year. Making New Year's Wishes! Image Credit: depositphotos.com The other evening, we heard something different about wishes while streaming the latest super hero film, Wonder Woman 1984!   Warning! This could be a "spoiler alert" for those who have yet to view WW84!   The two-and-a-half hour action-packed adventure is based upon the ninth installment in the DC Extended Universe and features the comic series character Wonder Woman. The ending has a susp...

While I was in active ministry, I received numerous "pink slips" each day. Thankfully, these were not the kind of slips you received when you were being fired from your job! This was a small sheet from a pad of notes used by my administrative assistant to record information from an office visitor or a telephone call. Back in the day, this was a standard way to convey messages! Today, we have digital means like texting and voice recording technology on our smart phones that make communication more accessible and immediate. I know that office supply companies continue to sell a number of these "While You Were Out" note pads! Adams Message Pad officedepot.com You hear a lot about "messaging" today! The dictionary defines a message as "a verbal, written or recorded communication sent to a recipient who cannot be contacted directly." As with a lot of words, we have conveniently turned them into verbs through our use and practice. (One of my favorite n...

Am I the only one asking this question? All of this started since my retirement in July of 2018. I was so "schedule driven" throughout my active ministry years. Much of my awareness of the day of the week was tied to normal commitments in vocational ministry: preparation of messages and studies, facilitating ministry teams, leading Sunday worship services, making hospital visits and other contacts, and taking occasional days off! It was much easier with this structure to know what day of the week it was as I anticipated the next thing on my weekly to-do list. Now-a-days, with this COVID-19 challenge of staying-in-place, many of us have been thrown off of our routines. We are living a "new normal" and an ongoing confusion about what day it is! This can result in day/week/ time distortion akin to an episode of the Twilight Zone ! (for a reminder, check this out... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxf_Dvy0VLs ) I find myself regularly inquiring, "What day is this...