Birthdays are one of those times that I often reflect on the past year (or even years!) and think about what I’ve done, not done, should have done, shouldn’t have done! You know, revisit the events and experiences and evaluate myself and my performance. Birthdays feel like a natural marker—a moment to do just that! … Continue reading Happy Bear-Day to Me!
Battlefields
So I recently took a trip. It was down to Chattanooga to see some parks and do some hiking and a couple of nights of solo camping. It was going to be a time of solitude and silence—the kind that refreshes my soul. After an intense month of moving stuff it was intended to be … Continue reading Battlefields
Earth Day 2025
Earth Day! I’m doing the TennGreen Hike-a-Thon again this year. Today all donations will be matched up to $5,000. So I’m asking everyone to click the link and give back today. https://secure.qgiv.com/event/hike-a-thon2025/account/1962840/
My Hats Off to You!
Folks who know me are already aware that I know and keep certain special days when they show up on the calendar. June 14 is National Bourbon Day and part of my annual birthday celebration. September 12 is National Biscuits and Gravy Day which I have kept for several years now. December 30 is National … Continue reading My Hats Off to You!
House and Half-an-Acre
Wednesday afternoon we signed more papers than I can count. It amounts to a book that the title company actually bound and gave to us so that we have it all in one place. That was thoughtful of them. Sign here and here and here, and initial here, and sign here and here and here … Continue reading House and Half-an-Acre
Off On the Right Foot
January is the time of looking back and looking forward. It is the time to review all that went on in the past year, and there was lots that went on! It’s also the time to look ahead at clean calendar pages and blocks. I always do some of both. Sometimes, in fact, it takes … Continue reading Off On the Right Foot
Retreat! Repeat!
Retreat! When issued as an order it is a stark command to back up and give ground for the sake of regrouping. There are some who are never ready or willing to give ground; they stand on their pride and sometimes fall because of it. Rare is the operation that is nothing but sustained progress … Continue reading Retreat! Repeat!
My Leaf
It has not been the most brilliant fall this year. The weather worked against it. It was hot and dry towards the end of summer. So there were a lot of leaves that didn’t actually turn colors—well, they turned brown, but not the vibrant reds and yellows and oranges and crimsons that sort of takes … Continue reading My Leaf
Of Boxes and Books
Book allowance. It’s one of those lines in the budget that pastors have used for a long time. It’s used to buy books which are the resources from which lots of study happens. Before it becomes a sentence in a sermon it was probably a sentence in a book that the pastor read. We Presbyterians … Continue reading Of Boxes and Books
Out of the Habit
I am a creature of habit. Nothing special about that—we all are, are we not? That’s not to say that we keep the same habits. Each of us has our own little rituals and routines that are not practiced by anyone else. We may all share some of the basic human functions and do them … Continue reading Out of the Habit
Character in the Making 