Graduation ceremonies began in mid-May and will continue through mid-June for a variety of schools across the nation.  Graduation is a time of transition.  It implies not just finishing with a grade or a whole level of study, but in most cases movement to a new institution or, in some cases, a whole new life.  By its very nature, graduation is a…

Every Wednesday I lead a Bible Study with a group of women (men are welcome but so far not many have attended) who range in age from 50 to 87.  We look at the text that I will preach for the upcoming Sunday.  Rather than prepare a “study,” I often ask questions of the text with them and then hear their responses. …

What do you think of when you hear the word “integrity?”  Most people would say that having integrity is something they value in their lives and strive to attain.  At the most basic level, it seems integrity is akin to walking the talk.  One of the definitions of integrity has to do with being complete and undivided.  Though it may have something…

Some days I wonder about nature versus nurture.  Was I born a people pleaser or was there some aspect of the nurturing I received or didn’t receive that resulted in my wanting to please everyone in my life? My parents were divorced when I was two and they both remarried within a year or two.  My siblings and I lived with our…

A decade ago I was getting ready to turn 40 and I was enthusiastic about the prospect.  My thirties had been a roller coaster of experiences including some mountaintop moments and some deep valley moments.  When I was approaching 40, I felt strong and ready to roll.  For some odd reason I decided that I wanted to do my first-ever triathlon in…

Yesterday in church one of the questions I raised in my sermon was what motivates people to be willing to sacrifice or change significant aspects of their lifestyles in order to  live more faithfully regarding a cause.  One of the stories I told was about an article I read in Sunset magazine within the past year about a family of four in…

Last week I was texting with a friend of mine while in the midst of working on the sermon to be preached Sunday.  Many years ago she was in love with a woman who was an alcoholic and the woman eventually died from the disease of alcoholism.  My mother was also an alcoholic so it’s a familiar story for me.  We were…

This morning as I was drinking my coffee and listening to NPR, I heard a segment on Abraham Lincoln and one of the researchers was talking about how unusual he was as a politician because he was a tried and true “flip-flopper.”  Yes, Abraham Lincoln was one who changed his mind and not just once or twice.  The author of the segment…

For most people this week is like any other week.  All around us people are waking up, going to school, going to work, buying groceries, running errands, going to meetings, seeing friends, calling family members and sleeping.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that while I walk around during this week aware of and focused on the events of Holy Week and…

All over the country, high school seniors who have applied to private colleges are waiting to hear what has been decided about the rest of their lives.  At least it seems to feel that way to them.  Four years feels like the rest of their lives at the age of 17 or 18.  They did their part in researching, writing essays and…