Serve by Design

During my college days, I took a class in Philosophy that was required in a liberal arts education curriculum. I liked it so much that I decided to take two more! I think that part of my motivation was in the fact that my professor was a family friend. He and his wife would later host our outdoor wedding reception at their house in Charleston. I can distinctively remember the antics that Dr. Taylor would perform during his classroom instructions. On one occasion, he took a simple chalkboard eraser and spent the whole hour making his point! (And yes, I date myself in writing "chalk!" This was many years before dry erase marker boards would become popular!) Eraser and Chalk Image: Public Domain The eraser was held before us for a few seconds while the professor stood with an impish grin at his lectern. Then, with a dramatic movement, he held it behind him to simulate how it had disappeared from the students' view. Dr. Taylor followed up with these questions, "Is the er...

 I was watching a funny video about some "crying" Billy Goats on a social media site this week. "Maaah! Maaah!" Their unusually loud bleating was both humorous and eerily unsettling as well. This reminded me of an incident involving our youngest son about forty years ago. I estimate that Marc was about two years old at the time. He was in his stroller at the Fort Worth petting zoo when all at once we heard him crying out in panic while trying to get out of his constraints.  "Watch out for the Billy Goat!" Photo credit: Sergio Souza, unspash.com You know how you will hear something, but can't quite put it all together. Well, I had heard a surprising sound seconds early but was not focused on Marc sitting behind me. It was the sound of tearing and crunching. As I looked back at Marc, I saw the reason for his distress. A small kid goat at his eye level was chomping on the remains of a warning label he had quickly snatched from the seat back of the strolle...

Keeping up with family and friends during the Pandemic is going way better than expected. We are still wearing our masks, social distancing and not meeting together in traditional ways these days, but we are connecting. We have learned different ways to check in on family and friends, celebrate special occasions, and participate throughout the week in worship and small group studies both near and far. The key has been through digital connections using our smart phone, laptop computer and other such devices. Thanks to technology, we are staying current with those who are near and dear to us! Eloise's Refrigerator Art Matt, Brady, Eloise, Mimi and Poppi We use these virtual connections for casual conversations, serious discussions and on occasions, for sharing recipes. Just this week, Klayton Michael, our fifth-grade grandson, "popped in" from New Mexico to talk to his Mimi by way of a video chat.  Klay called to review the recipe for a Jell-O cake that is one of his mom...

"Storing Up!" Image credit: clipartmax.com Fall officially arrived a few weeks ago. The temperatures are moderating, the trees are changing from their summer green to yellow, golden and deep red colors. Another sign of this transformation to autumn is how wildlife prepares for the harshness of winter.  Since my desk is next to our French doors, I have a ringside seat to observe the squirrels who may be God's best example of prudent industriousness. These speedy and ambitious tree mammals come in two main varieties: the nimble grey squirrels with white chests and the slightly slower-paced fox squirrels with their distinctive rust-colored coats. At this time of the year, they are doing what squirrels do. They are "squirreling away" nuts for the long winter months! (Hey! That almost rhymes!) I have a beautiful maturing oak tree in the back yard that has produced an abundance of acorns this season. They are falling all around the perimeter of the tree like one of na...

We have family in France who is going through a challenging time of transition. An uncle is in a rehabilitation facility recovering from a recent fall. This means that the aunt is home and on her own as she tries to maintain a house and take care of her everyday needs. Both are in their mid-nineties. When you have to depend on others for grocery shopping and you are only cooking for one, an easy and nutritious microwave meal can help alleviate some of the stress. French Ready Meal The French have their own version of "meals-on-wheels!" A noontime meal is delivered to the door each day! The menu for a recent meal included: Beef Bourguignon (braised beef in red wine!), couscous, fruit, salami, cheese, a bottle of water, and of course, the quintessential, baguette! Voil`a! ("There it is!") A "Ready Meal!" In the Lord's Model Prayer, Jesus taught us about the daily focus. He instructed His Disciples to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." (M...

"Is this what I look like?" That may have been the question our ancestors asked after they first looked into a still pool of water, or some other shiny object. Mirrors have been with us for thousands of years going back to the bronze age. The typical silvered-glass mirror many of us have in our homes dates back 200 hundred years to its beginning in Germany. Today, we routinely use this invention in our everyday lives. We utilize mirrors for personal grooming, to decorate our homes, and to enable safe driving. Photographers use them. Doctors and dentists perform procedures using mirrors. Scientists use them in telescopes and lasers. They come in all shapes and sizes! There are several Bible passages that speak of mirrors and draw out lessons from reflection. Paul said that we lack understanding because "we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror" (1 Corinthians 13:12).   I recently got a good look at myself, but it wasn't through the reflection of a mirror. Our ...

During a recent sermon on grief, our pastor mentioned something that I have been thinking about lately. He said, "Many of us grieve over an accumulation of losses in our lives." This past year, Monique and I have lost several of our Texas friends. Another precious one passed a couple of weeks ago. This is number four by my count. Each of these friends has left an indelible influence on our lives. As the pastor observed, I feel like there has been a heavy accumulation of grief and loss in the last couple of years. We knew this was bound to occur. After all, we are getting older, too! But, the frequency of loss over a relatively short duration of time has been surprising.  In my personal reflections, I took to the computer keyboard to make a list of some of the specific losses. At the top, I thought of the loss of my mother who passed two years ago on July 17th. Then, there was the grief over a church conflict in March 2019. Added to this was the diagnosis of prostate cancer in...