Tag Archives: death

Before Our Tickers Quit

Posted on July 20, 2020 by

My father died on this date, at age 45. From a heart attack. It happened two weeks after his annual check-up, where he’d been told, “Your ticker is in great shape!” They said that back then, “ticker.” They also said … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 49 Comments

I Hate Masks!

Posted on July 2, 2020 by

Last Sunday, my wife and I ate in the fabled part of a restaurant known as “Inside.” Except for while we were actually eating (the intake of “food” requiring access to a facial orifice called a “mouth”) we wore our … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 86 Comments

Imagine Having to Explain to Your Child…

Posted on May 28, 2020 by

Renika Williams, center, in the feature film Healing River. This week in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a black man named George Floyd choked to death while a white police officer knelt on his neck, ignoring his pleas. I am not qualified to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Quips and Quotes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Radical Forgiveness!

Posted on May 23, 2020 by

More Rave Reviews for Healing River! The trailer has been seen and shared by thousands. From multiple true events, including my own near-death encounter with a heroin-addicted driver, I created a story of “impossible” forgiveness that both challenged and moved … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Movies, Popular Culture & Entertainment, Videos | Tagged , , , , , | 36 Comments

He Will Guide Us

Posted on May 3, 2020 by

What an unexpected era we find ourselves in, comparable only to those of the world wars, when reminders of our mortality assault us daily. Still, death has always been with us, as Seneca the Younger observed in the first century … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Biggest Health Risks of Hoarding

Posted on March 25, 2020 by

My Featured Blogger this week is actually a journalist, Jocasta Lennon, a freelance writer “with a passion for the eclectic and unusual.” When Jocasta first approached me, I was delighted that she considered this a place for talented new writers … Continue reading →

Posted in Quips and Quotes, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

To Boldly Go

Posted on March 12, 2020 by

Is there a connection between aliens and the coronavirus? No, this isn’t some cheesy tabloid revelation about the coronavirus being planted by aliens. So lower that eyebrow, please, and allow me to unpack that opening question: Why do we see … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The Cross as a Way of Life

Posted on February 23, 2020 by

To die to self, to keep the old nature nailed to the cross, is such a battle, isn’t it? And yet in the end it turns out to be not just any battle but the battle. If we win this … Continue reading →

Posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Love and Death

Posted on February 9, 2020 by

Everything that matters is tied to death. Forgiveness, resolving differences,* healing hurts. When death looms, we suddenly remember the only thing that matters is love. If only death were always with us we would finally learn how to love. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, For Pastors and Teachers, Quips and Quotes, Religion/Faith | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

A Message from My Heart

Posted on December 23, 2019 by

I come from a long line of short-lived men. My father died of a heart attack at 45, and both of my grandfathers died of heart attacks, as well. In addition, my mother died of a heart condition at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , , , | 65 Comments