I drove downtown for an appointment today, and while driving in the pouring rain, the state of the city, state, nation and world reminded me of three songs. Almost everything makes me think of either a song or a bible verse, or several of each, but today, in the rain, these three songs came to me. The first is “John and Mary,” by the phenomenal Mr. Pastorius. I think we as a world in the midst of a pandemic are in the middle part of the song. The song starts with some with a

What is it like to be unfamiliar with the warm security of the love of a fellow human? I can’t say for sure, but I imagine it to be like an arctic tundra: cold, barren, non-nourishing, and no particular points of interest. Except worse. No hope of a home somewhere offering relief. Ever felt like that? I don’t know many, if any, people for whom this is truly accurate, but I’m afraid I know lots of people who have experienced this at some point, at least for a moment. Sometimes

50 year birthday. Thanksgiving. Christmas Season. One son in college and another with his first car. It has all piled up on me. As I was driving to meet a couple of new clients this morning, my mind was flooded with memories. It was like watching an old 8mm film of my life, projected onto a white bed sheet hung from the mantle in the living room, only in my head, distracting me from the rainy day outside my jeep. I saw the mobile home on the southeast side of Monroe Louisiana

I’m thankful for my family. No really. I am. I know that sounds trite this time of year, but hear me out. I have seen one too many families fall apart. Maybe some not so much “fell apart,” as were violently but slowly and agonizingly pulled apart by seemingly invisible, giant claws. Decisions. Mine is still together. But by God’s Grace Alone, there go I. I feel compelled to help others pull together when and where I can. Because relationships shouldn’t be given up over thing

A home is a wonderful thing. A family is even better. Armistice, when needed, is from God Himself. Put the three  together and you have a miracle that many people never experience and that many who experience it take for granted. The Washingtons had hit a sweet spot in life.  Reagan was rising early each morning with a spring in his step, Rosy was feeling empowered and enthusiastic about both work and family, Liberty was energized by her parents’ positivity and Unity was in a

One of the, if not the, greatest days of any of the Washingtons’ lives was the day the adoption was finalized. It was two days after Easter. The air was still cool in the The sights, smells and sounds of the courthouse were things both parents would have preferred to shield their children from, regardless of their ideological differences. As Rosy grabbed the hand of little Unity to keep her from running off into the crowded lobby, she whispered, “It’s much easier to love peop

Adopted. Some people ignorantly attach a stigma to that word. Unity doesn’t though. She was born at an early age to her natural mom and mom’s boyfriend at the time. One That was the beginning of a pattern for her. The local Child Protective Service picked her up and placed her in foster care, but in foster care she was moved often, every time other children needed to stay together in a home, and a couple of times when her foster parents had personal or marital problems. Up un

Imagine a happy, classic American family: two parents, Reagan and Roosevelt (Rosy for short) Washington, two kids, Liberty and Unity, and a dog and maybe a cat. Let’s go ahead and put a goldfish and a guppy in a tank on the bar between the kitchen and dining room. One kid is in dance and the other in softball and the parents have a good marriage: not blissful everyday but not looking to make any trades either. Everybody is ok, content, and living their “best life now.” They k

How many people have either wondered if they were, or wished they were, or maybe wished they were not, invisible, at one point or another? That one girl or guy that doesn’t seem to know you exist; that car that pulls into your lane as though you weren’t in it; or that gathering where you’re standing alone in the middle of the room and no one seems to notice when you finally leave. Or maybe you wished you were invisible when you spilled the tomato sauce down your clean white s

So is it a good thing or a bad thing? I think it’s healthy but no more fun than a shot in the buttocks for a ten year old. Children seem to enjoy their illusions: Santa brings them presents at Christmas, a Bunny brings candy at Easter, a Fairy exchanges money for baby teeth (a little creepy when said that way), a huge ape with big feet lives in the woods, et cetera. Part of maturing is releasing these fanciful myths in favor of reality, but it seems to me that after releasing

opening my eyes in the morning is often like the elevator doors opening after a solo ride from the top floor of the sears tower down to the fifth floor i’ve been comfortable for some time, enjoying a not-too-hot not-too-cold pleasant temperature and some instrumental music in dim lighting and solitude and then the doors open and in comes a stranger, a thought, separating the space of the elevator in two and pushing me into my half just before the doors close, or i hit snooze,

(This is #11 and the final installment in a series. Find 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 by clicking on the numbers. It’s ok – they’re mostly short.) By the way, to be fair, it’s not just Christians who do it. I’m just more willing to point the proverbial finger at my own kind than others, for the sake of avoiding hypocrisy. But everyone from the LGBTQ community to the Islam community seems to do it. We all want respect and we all want others to see the truth of our ways. But

There are so many types of “forcing it.” I have addressed several already, in the precursors to this post: 1, 2, 3, and 4. I have suggested that as a general rule, subject to some exceptions of course, we should focus our attention on ourselves when forcing things (i.e. self-discipline) and we should not impose our wills and standards on others – “forcing it” on those unwilling. I attempted to show that God Himself set the example on this point, subject to some exceptions, an

Sometimes I feel particularly blessed. As in much more so than I deserve. When I’m not being especially grateful, I often think this word is overused in today’s culture, but not today, for me, right now. God has given me a wonderful wife – M, who understands me and puts up with my crap. She recognizes my need for travel, and for two wheel therapy, and is generally gracious about both, to the point that I’ve seen some other guys be a little envious of my freedom. God and my wi

Our first encounter with bison was our sighting of a small herd snacking at a stream in a valley. Calves were frolicking around the huge beasts without a care that there were cars lined up on the road above to gawk and wonder how close they could get with their respective soul-grabbing devices. The Tetunka were content. At that point we were the Y-stone newbies who pulled over in amazement upon sighting a buffalo. I’m not ashamed. As I type this, at the end of Day 2, we are t

I awakened to sunlight streaming through the blinds at 5:47 a.m., and made sausage and egg biscuits for MCL as they got up and began readying for the day. I think I woke up at least 4 times to use the bathroom in the night, and on the last trip I may have broken my second biggest left toe when I hit the black coffee-table between me and the bathroom. After a long squelched wail of agony, I stayed up and started the breakfast. C said he woke up about 20 times because L hogged

it is not in the tone of his biceps nor in the definition of her legs but in the tone of their voices and the definition of chesed* she keeps him honest he lifts her self-esteem she holds his attention he’s the source of her gleam he forgets all else when she enters the room among the weeds of her life he is the bloom they are each other’s treasure by anyone’s measure to one another they devote themselves, to share the boat *hebrew – חסד #husband #marriage #poetry #poem #vers

if she drops it he picks it up if his fingers are slipping she takes the reins if he’s soaked from the rain she dries his clothes if she’s tired from the laundry he gets the dishes their best dishes are joint ventures their best days are together their best accomplishments are teenagers he paddles the boat and she navigates partnership avoids the rocks sometimes they argue but they fight to stay in the same boat. #husband #marriage #poetry #poem #verse #wife #family

she laughs out of the blue and only he knows why she interrupts his drivel and he smiles at her charm she mimics his music and he enjoys her voice he loudly rearranges the dishwasher and she quietly adds the forgotten soap he’s not interested in talking and she encourages his two wheel therapy he places a hand on her waist in passing and she acknowledges it with hers they sit at the banquet quietly roasting the rich people they exchange glances at the grocery to avoid the fri

she turns away again and he retreats she calls and he can’t talk she asks and he doesn’t hear he gestures but she doesn’t see he offers but she is distracted he speaks but the wind carries his words away they love by different means each gives but neither receive both stay because both believe and both know they’re in the same boat *sculpture by Leon Bronstein #women #freeverse #poetry #poem #family