Serve by Design

On Saturday, October 14, 2023, 10:36 am, a spectacular event occurred that could only be observed in parts of the western United States, as well as Central and South America. Weeks in advance of the annular solar eclipse, I was reading and hearing about it on the news. I knew that we were going to be visiting our family during this exact time. I just didn’t realize, at the time of first hearing about this, just how unique it all would be! We quite literally were in the “right place at the right time!” The zenith point for optimal viewing of this epic eclipse was Albuquerque, New Mexico! Looking upward with our "stylish" eclipse glasses! We took it all in so easily as we stood in our daughter’s kitchen in the suburb of nearby Rio Rancho and looked out over the Sandia Mountains to the east. It was like we were standing in a private celestial theater. What made this solar eclipse so unusual was that it happened when the moon orbited at its farthest point from earth. As it passed...

“The sincerest form of flattery is imitation!” This observation is widely credited to Oscar Wilde, the popular 19 th century poet and playwright. However, there are similar but sarcastic statements that date a hundred years earlier such as: “Imitation is kind of artless flattery” or “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” I prefer the Wilde expression over the other two for sure! My Mini-Me! I have known for a long time that children watch adults in their lives and often mimic their behavior. I did this when I was a child! I wanted to wear a ball cap, have a toothpick in my mouth and cover my hands with inexpensive brown Jersey gloves like my dad. I was surprised recently during a family visit to see that my six-year-old granddaughter, Klaire, was imitating me. When I am in a “crowd situation” at family gatherings I like to mark my glass when there are so many drinking glasses it is nearly impossible to keep track of who’s glass belongs ...

Whenever we visit our daughter and her family in New Mexico, Monique and I have the additional delight of enjoying their two beautiful dogs as well. We first met their 5-year-old Mini Golden-Doodle, Sophie Grace, in 2018. She is an intelligent and intuitive mother hen. Sophie is well trained, obedient, and watches our reactions to anticipate our moods and desires. The one-year-old, Mocha Latte, a black and white, Shiatzu, is “learning the ropes.” He is the newest member of “Team Defrees” and is quite charming, playful, and energetic, but immature at times as he tags along behind Sophie. They make a most loving and entertaining duo! Sophie and Mocha under foot!💕 Since we don’t have a pet at home anymore because of the passing of our dear Cock-a-Poodle, Freddie, some years ago, it is definitely an adjustment for Monique and me to have to navigate around the house when these feisty canines are competing with us for the same space in the kitchen, family room and bedroom areas. It’s easy f...

I was asked yesterday by my son-in-law, Reece, to help get one of our grandsons to an after-school appointment at the orthodontist. We are out in New Mexico for a few days visiting family and friends.  Reece was already busy picking up his other son and needed to get home to complete his workday. I have forgotten how stressed busy young families are with their many commitments. Just the coming and going required to shuttle their students to school and extracurricular activities is demanding enough.  I love partnering opportunities like these. It’s more than lending practical support, but also gives me time for a sustained, one-on-one conversation with another beloved grandson that we only see a couple times out of the year! Klay At Play! 😏 As we arrived for the adjustment to Klay’s braces and checked in, I was immediately impressed with the waiting area for this orthodontal practice. The receptionist was smiling and kind. The minimalist approach to the décor was modern with j...

After moving back to central Illinois at the end of 1991, I immediately began asking about where I could get a good donut and coffee. One of our church secretaries, Polly Jones, advised that I try out the small shop down the street called Mel-O-Cream Donuts.  While I had never heard of this local and family-owned company, I did have some considerable experience with Shipley Do-Nuts in Texas (over 300 locations!).😉 I told her I’d give the new shop a try but had a strong feeling that it would be hard to beat the familiar  products of my past when I had a hankering for a good blueberry cake, sausage roll or fruit-filled kolache. Kelly Grant Jr., Owner CCO  (1954-2020) Well, that was then, and this is now, some thirty years later. Polly was right, Mel-O-Cream’s chocolate Long Johns, apple fritters, and even the plain old-fashioned donuts are so tasty with a good cup of Joe! Mel-O-Cream has been baking their products (over 100 varieties!) since 1932 right here in Springfield,...

Hardly a day goes by when Monique or I must search for something that has been misplaced! It could be our phone, keys, a shopping list, an item from our billfold or a purse. I’ve concluded that we are simply trying to keep up with the younger generation who boast of their ability to juggle multiple tasks all at the same time. I’m sure that it isn’t a sign of forgetfulness or old age!😉 "Found this... do you need it?" I recently received a text from my beloved sister who was wondering if I had seen a special angel bracelet that she thought she might have dropped on the floorboard of my car after our Sunday dinner together. No sooner had I returned from searching the backseat, I picked up my phone and saw this reply, “I just found it on my bedroom floor! Thank you!” I’m thinking that this misplacing of things may be catching! Last month, Marc and I made a trip to take Ben’s car to him on the campus of Texas State about an hour away. The vehicle needed some repair work, and th...

Our summer vacation was not so much fun for an important member of the family this year! I could call this report, “The “Kidney Stone Saga” as it would likely have some of you tremoring and wincing in pain over your own memories. Over years of pastoring, I have heard some graphic “war stories” that a few of you have reluctantly shared on this subject! It's smaller than a baby aspirin, but prickly as a cocklebur! 😠 This story started the day we arrived in Georgetown for our extended family visit. Monique felt some discomfort and thought she was dealing with another bladder infection (UTI), so we dropped into the local Urgent Care to get an assessment. Meds were prescribed and we were on the way with the usual advice to push the liquids. A week to the day later, we were back at the same place. This time it was advised that we visit a nearby emergency room that could offer more extensive testing services. After a C-Scan with contrast, the emergency room doctor offered what I felt w...