I met her at the swimming pool of our apartment complex. Her long black hair and physical beauty captivated me. It was about five different subjects and several hours later before I learned she was married. Over the next few months I saw her at the pool on occasion. Each time she would be with a girlfriend, faithfully carrying a glass with a potent screwdriver mixture. I learned that on Saturday mornings she would always be out by the pool,…
He seems like a shadow rather than a real person. The only people who knew him are gone now, and I never really got a straight story about his personage or character. He just wasn’t there and no one wanted to talk about him because of a single choice he made. He walked away from everyone who needed him during a time of great need. Yet, today is his birthday and we must learn from his life. Most of what…
Several years ago my sister-in-law’s husband passed away. I was asked to provide the oration at the funeral, even though I am not Jewish. I felt directed by God to do so. As I thought back on our discussions over the years, one specific exchange remained vivid as I prepared for his burial. During that conversation he told me that he was interested in spiritual things and that he thought about them regularly, but did not understand how to embrace…
During the early 1990’s I found myself out of work and virtually impossible to replace the executive position after sending out thousands of resumes. After about 90 to 100 days, I found myself prostrate, face down on the ground, begging Almighty God for relief. I recounted the ministries I had supported, the families I had helped, the ministry for children begun, and my commitment as a husband to my wife and dad to my children. As I waited, God seemed…
I know there have been times when you’ve been in a hurry, at a stoplight when the light changed and the person in front of you just did not move. I also know that you have asked someone to help you do something because of a personal need or deadline and while they may have embraced the idea, there was little response or no action on their part. Or the one that is probably the most disconcerting is looking back…
On several occasions I have mentioned the fact that there are significant differences in your mom’s personality and mine. At times it has led to strong differences of opinion about any number of issues. Other times caused us to take a time out to reconsider our approaches and come up with a reasonable alternative. I’m sure you have experienced everything from frustration to a quiet inner smile when we try to get on the “same page.” As I have said…