Ba humbug.
I’m not at all a fan of New Year’s resolutions. People buying gym memberships, cleaning out their cupboards of junk food, buying bookshelves of self-help books.
In a few weeks, it all fails.
I’ve never had a New Years resolution fail. (Then again, I don’t recall ever making one.)
But, I’ve also rarely had any resolution fail.
Why?
It all begins with a story. Read more »
There was a time when I never wanted a family. No kids, no wife. Just me and blissful solitude.
That was last week. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that bad. It’s not that I didn’t want my family. I was just on edge. All the time. My blood pressure never seemed to settle. I was either buried with work or walking through a hailstorm of noise when I came home.
Never a moment of quiet. It was, in many ways, familiar. But it had never been this worse.
Or should I say, it has never been this worse. Read more »
I almost healed a man once. Of Parkinsons. But it never happened. I never got the chance.
I was serving as a missionary in Kalamazoo Michigan. We were knocking on doors, soliciting converts and all that and stumbled upon a man. Let’s call him Rob. He was a short-ish man in his forties with bright red hair, a lean physique, and a crass sense of humor well-befitted to two emissaries of Christ.
Problem was, the guy had Parkinsons. Like, really bad. Every muscle in his body seemed to twitch when we spoke. He could hardly walk and when he did it was with an awkward shuffle. In order to listen to him, I had to place my ear within a foot of him. And even then, as deaf as I was (and still am), I struggled to understand him. Read more »
I’m a type-A kinda guy–always antsy to do something–always antsy to achieve something. It’s not enough that I’ve got my PhD and have a comfortable job. No, I want more! It’s not enough that I have you, fare reader, finding inspiration from my blog. No, I want more!
More, more, more!
But what is the cost? Read more »
It’s been eleven years now since I learned that lesson. I was living in Michigan, serving as a missionary. For those unfamiliar with Mormon-dom, let me tell you about those fellows who wear white shirts, ties, and black name tags. The pair of them must be within eye sight of one another 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only break they get from one another is the occasional “trade-off” where they switch companions for a day.
And did I mention you don’t get to choose your companion?
And it can last anywhere from six weeks to six months (and sometimes more).
Guess what….. Read more »
