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Reading a delightful little book for chapter a day at work. “The Secret Garden”, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Lots of good stuff in there worth thinking about. Story about a girl, Mary, who goes to live with her depressed uncle in his depressing mansion after her parents die. Mary is the most irritable child inContinue reading “Magic”

I was having a conversation at work with the other chaplains and student chaplains the other day that got me pondering on my evening walk about the decline of religion. The conversation we had was about an article written by a pastor who was talking about a recent personal tragedy in his life and howContinue reading “Religion’s decline..”

So, the washing machine has been running non-stop ever since the corona’s been flying around and it finally gave up the ghost.  I put in a load and went for a jog only to come home and find water all over the floor. Of course, I had to do another load because A) I hadContinue reading “Washer Fiasco”

I was listening to a Joe Rogan podcast recently that has my brain spinning in a good way. maybe just what I needed…. So this guy, Dave Goggins, is a 24 yr old out of shape man who has a full time job as an insect exterminator.  Life is not fulfilling for him and heContinue reading “Aim high enough to never shoot yourself in the foot.”

We are continuing our Lenten book series Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton and the theme I will be exploring with you today is the theme of scripture.  Now, I am very familiar with preaching on Scripture but I have never preached about scripture as a whole and its importance in the sacred rhythm ofContinue reading “On Scripture — VMP sermon 15”

Once upon a time I used to be a high school teacher.  That’s right, I did four years hard time as a high school teacher.  That is how I know I’m going straight to heaven when I die – whatever mistakes I made, I have paid for them and then some.  Just kidding. There wasContinue reading “The woman at the Well– VMP sermon 14”

Can you name all four of your grandparents? What about your great-grandparents? What about your grandmother’s maiden name?  How quickly we are forgotten.  How quickly our life, that we think is so important, is erased from the memory of the living after we are gone. “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shallContinue reading “VMP Ash Wednesday”

I will be giving a presentation on stress at work next Friday so I was re-watching a documentary from years ago I found very insightful then and even more so after watching it recently.  Its called “Stress: Portrait of a Killer”. I find the material so different the second time around not because the materialContinue reading “Too many therapists, not enough support groups”

So, I had a new years resolution to read one hundred books this year.  Like most of my new years resolutions I’m finding now that maybe it was a little to ambitious as it is now well into February and I’m quite a bit behind.  But I will say that I have read more booksContinue reading “We need a new story”

Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration When I was a teenager I went to spend a summer with my aunt who lived in Marshfield Wisconsin.  My Aunt was a public school teacher by profession but she was also a great artist and had a lot of little side jobs painting murals on garage doors for people.  IContinue reading “VMP Sermon 13 The Big Picture”