Today is halloween!

I want to tell you a story about overcoming worry by using our home’s pumpkin creations for 2017. By the way, pumpkin carving goes back many years to Ireland. According to the folk-tale, the carving was called Jack-O-Lantern and it was first done on vegetables rather than a pumpkin. The purpose of it was to ward off bad spirits. Of course here in America, long before it was associated with Halloween, it had to do with celebrating the harvest season. Today, pumpkin carving has become nothing more than a fun activity at home between parents and kids.

Now to my story… many years ago, while I was in seminary at New Orleans, I had been studying for monster test (hence my daughter’s carving of Frankenstein). I was so concerned about passing that it showed. Continue reading →

My buddy Dave took this great picture behind our church property yesterday. Now, I don’t know about you but when I see an eagle, a few quick thoughts hit my mind: majestic; top of the food chain; soaring at high altitudes; oh, yeah; proud American; strength!

Isn’t it amazing how the image or thought of a bird can flood our minds with ideas of greatness?

When others see you or your name comes up in a conversation, what ideas about you do you think come to their minds? What words pop into people’s minds when your picture appears on Facebook? I know, I know…we shouldn’t pay much attention to what others think about us but let’s go beyond the surface here, shouldn’t positive words like trusted, helpful, listener, comforting, come to their mind?

Have you ever been in a conversation and you mention someone’s name and the other person blurts out the word, ‘Obnoxious’! We want to be the exact opposite of that annoying and disgusting guy. People with great reputations are known to empower others.  Continue reading →

But why? Why dream only average? Is that hat a statement of the passionless existence many find themselves in today?

I went to grab me an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts one early morning a few days ago and the voice coming out of the speaker at the drive through sounded monotone and extremely disinterested in my order. Then when I drove to the window, the girl handing me the coffee was so unpleasant I almost asked her if her middle name was ‘Joy’.

I know life can be really tough sometimes but dreaming of a great future destiny keeps hope alive. It reminds us that there’s still a chance for great things to happen in our lives. Continue reading →

Funkiness! That’s the first thing that came to mind when I saw this palm tree. I’m not sure why it looks like that, though. Maybe it’s what’s left after a Cat 3 hurricane that came through town recently. Or, maybe its God’s sense of humor in creation. I’m just not sure. Here’s a different view of the same,

Call me crazy, but for some reason a hawaiian luau comes to mind.

Maybe I had never noticed that palm tree before but it surely sparked my mind about where I’ve been lately.

You may have wondered why I haven’t been posting lately (and if you haven’t…shame on you!). I’ve just been in a funky state of mind, blah, or in some sort of a lull. Call it what you want, down, blue, dragging, it all adds to the same.

Sometimes we ask people, “How’s it going?” And they sarcastically answer, “Oh… it’s another day in paradise.” What they really mean is, “Whatever, man. It is what it is.” Have you been my neighbor in Funky Town lately? Continue reading →