Recently, from another room at a friend’s house, I heard Leonard say, “I miss the mountains.”  I was immediately distracted from the conversation I was having and placed mentally somewhere “out West” in a National Park, hiking a trail, admiring nature, and talking loudly to ward off potential encounters with bears.  …

Today’s Scripture readings are as disturbing as they are consoling to me!  Luke (LK 19: 41-44) has Jesus describing violent destruction, killing and being encircled by your “enemies.”  Interestingly, the Scripture passage immediately prior to this describes Jesus’ celebrated entry into the holy city Jerusalem, where the excitement of the people, who saw him as a messiah sent to save them, prompted them to throw down their cloaks on the road before Him – hopes and dreams for a better life, a saved way of living –they chant!…

This year, because of scheduling, our neighborhood “white elephant” party was held in November.  The rules of the game are actually quite hysterical.  According to the number that you pick prior to the game, you have an opportunity to either open a wrapped gift or “steal” a gift from someone else who already has a gift. …

A friend of mine told me once of an experience she had in Paris.  She was walking through the Paris Metro, and saw a woman on the ground. My friend immediately rushed toward the woman and reached out her hand to see if the woman was hurt and needed help to get up off the ground. …

Have you ever had the experience of meeting or even just being around someone who you just sense to be an authentic person?  It’s almost like an intuition that you have, or perhaps a deep sense of immediate trust or appreciation that you would find hard to describe. …