On Thursday I took my mom a dozen yellow roses. My dad often gave her yellow roses. The solstice would have been their 65th wedding anniversary. My dad died in 1984 leaving her a widow at the age of 48. She never remarried. Their marriage had its ups and downs, but what I remember most…
Several days ago, Tim and I hiked part of the Superior Hiking Trail in West Duluth. We walked several miles with good friends. They picked wild ramps along the way, filling up two zip lock bags. I chewed on several as we made our way along the trail. The taste was a combination of onion…
Chum’s 50th Anniversary — A Reflection Offered at the Service of Thanksgiving on June 4, 2023 When I moved to Duluth in 1991 to be the lead pastor of Peace Church I heard right away about Chum. My first thought though was what a weird name for a social service organization. When I hear the…
Monday morning I officiated at the burial service for a sweet man named Lyle. It was a foggy, gray morning, and the grass was wet as we walked quietly to the grave. His nephews carried his casket and placed it gently between his brother’s and his mother’s markers. I had done their funeral services too. There were…
Most days Tim and I wake early to walk along the Shores of Lake Superior. There is something sacred in being able to stroll together silently and watch the sun rise over this incredible lake. It is our prayer time on the Lake Walk. In eighth grade earth science at Lincoln Park Middle School the…
In February we went to Arizona and for the first time in my life I saw the majesty of the Grand Canyon. We got to the park late and so couldn’t see anything in the dark. We got up before dawn and made our way to the rim. The sunrise was amazing as we watched…
Our daughter Hannah is doing one of her last clinical rotations as a physicians associate at St. Luke’s Ob/Gyn here in Duluth. She is learning so much from this all woman team of health care providers. Hannah works both in the clinic and in the hospital’s birth center. It’s the same birth center where she…
It has been three years this month since Covid-19 came into all of our lives. So much has changed in these past three years. I met this past Wednesday with 25 folks who are part of a non-profit organization in our community to help them talk with one another about what has happened to them…
Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return . . . . I thought of these words from the Ash Wednesday ritual as we walked through the Upper Antelope and X Canyons near Page, Arizona. Red dust covered our feet as we slowly made our way through these incredible slot canyons. The interplay…
Tim, my partner, recently printed off this photo he took in May of 2018. Back then, we were visiting our daughter, Hannah, who was just finishing up a semester abroad. Part of our trip included a visit to Stockholm, Sweden. While in Stockholm we made sure to take in some of the art in their…