Serve by Design

Our youngest granddaughter, Klaire Michelle, recently completed her first volleyball camp in the nearby high school gym. She loved it! Klaire is a petite, yet athletic, nine-year-old who’s going into fourth grade. She, along with one hundred other campers, participated in a week of disciplined two-hour sessions that included instruction and hands-on (pun intended!) practice! Hey Girl, Keep Diggin'!! Both of our twin daughters played volleyball during their middle and high school years. They were short in stature, but gritty, daring, and highly competitive! They were our team’s best diggers long before the sport would designate specialists called Liberos, who excelled in backrow defense. Monique, their mother, continues to score for the Libero during high school volleyball games! What makes a backrow specialist so valuable? They are agile, have quick hands, and are balanced on their feet. Diggers must get low enough to the floor to protect against the deadly hits of fierce tall hi...

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...

Super Bowl 59 is over, and many are disappointed that it was not more competitive. I admit to only being a once-a-year football fan, but even I was hoping for a close game pitting the number one defense against an outstanding quarterback and team offense! The Philadelphia Eagles, a powerful defensive juggernaut, up-ended the four-time super bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, in a game that was all but over at the halftime. The score, a meager 22 points for the Chiefs to 40 for the soaring Eagles, doesn’t completely explain the surprising outcome!  Roadside Eagle Watching Near Athens, Illinois It was a game of uber-aggressive defense that resulted in too many turnovers for the Chiefs that repeatedly put the Eagles in scoring position for their touchdowns and field goals. Kansas City could never execute its game play as they were constantly scrambling to regain position. It was not a pretty game even though Taylor Swift and other celebrities present were cheering on the 2023 and 2024 ...

I am back to mowing my lawn all on my own! My team has left town for the beautiful high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico! I was so gratified this spring to enlist my thirteen-year-old grandson, Danny, (and his very capable lawn specialist mother, too!) to help with the weekly chore of mowing .55 acres of Keppler real estate. Danny’s departure this week has left me with a little uncertainty about whether I am still up to the job. I’m happy to report that I was able to edge, mow, weed wack, and blow all the debris away as always! A "One-Man Show" This Week! 😀 But, I do miss my “Number One!” Especially because his partnership allowed me to catch up on other chores, like keeping on top of the stick detailing, flower bed weeding, and shrub trimming touch-up. It was fun to see Danny at work. Even his mother was amazed at the skill he showed in leaving straight mow lines as if he were grooming a professional baseball outfield! He took to the task (and the humble remuneration!) l...

I have been serving as a law enforcement chaplain for twelve years as well as a workplace chaplain for over eighteen years. This has afforded me many opportunities for conversations and counsel that would not have been possible in any other way. Trust is a delicate thing between employees and chaplains that develops over time. It must be earned and there are no shortcuts in the process of deepening the confidence one person has in another. The more you relate and do life together, the more others see that you can be counted on to guard the secrets, concerns, and issues that many deal with on a day-to-day basis. The Strength of Teamwork! Image credit: unsplash.com One of the phrases I often hear among my fellow chaplains at our team training meetings is that “It’s such a privilege to be invited into workplace settings to serve as a chaplain resource to employees!” Where else, except the church, are religiously trained leaders invited to pray, affirm, and encourage workers while they are...