Both of our adult daughters no longer live near us, but they did remember their dad on Father’s Day. The younger one sent this text, ”Aww, you are truly the best dad. We are so lucky to have you and your cooking, pointe shoes sewing (she danced ballet for over 10 years) and hair cutting…
“Peace! Be Still!” — Mark 4: 39 It’s hard to sleep with at fifty pound golden retriever in your bed, but that’s how it was to be last Wednesday night. Our dog Finn is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks and that night there were both, so he landed in the middle of us with his…
Last Sunday afternoon we headed north and hiked the Fifth Falls Trails at Gooseberry State Park again. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were walking a trail that we have come to love. You notice small changes when you walk the same path often. The bunchberries were in full bloom. They added so…
“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day, Give thanks to God” Isaiah 12: 3 On Memorial Day we drove north on Highway 61, going past long lines of cars heading south, most of them headed home to the Twin Cities. We felt so lucky…
“Hold on to the wings of the Spirit and see where she takes you”. This was the phrase given to me today by my spiritual director and I find myself using it over and over again. Yes, hold on tight to her wings and trust the journey. Let’s just see where retirement takes me. As I…
It’s that time of year again when we have to get our 1978 sailboat ready to launch. I’m a fair weather sailor. I don’t really like our boat to be very heeled over. In my head I know the boat won’t tip all the way over, but I still haven’t learned to trust it in…
On Sunday Tim and I went to Bandelier National Park to hike up to Cerro Grande Peak (10,199 ft). The well-marked trail starts through a relatively flat meadow, but soon begins to rise through a pine forest. Pinecones and needles were scattered all over the ground. The trail is a little over two miles to…
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15: 12 – 13 It’s a rainy day here in Santa Fe, but the land seems grateful for the moisture. You can smell it in…
We find ourselves grieving so much these days. We grieve too many deaths from mass shootings, the rising Covid-19 numbers, and the killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center by a police officer. We hold our collective breath as the jury deliberates the verdict for Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. We are…
In retirement I often find myself reflecting on the many, many people who guided me on my way. One of my favorite people to remember is Trudy. She came into my office my first week on the job as Pastor of Peace Church and handed me a green recipe box. I opened the little tin…