Untangled
Recently I downloaded a video game onto my phone called Tangle Master 3D. Each round begins with multi-colored pieces of intertwined rope that you have to untangle in as few moves as possible. As you navigate each level, the snarls become increasingly complex both in the number of ropes tangled and in the intricacy of the knot.
One . . .
Posted in: #assurance#hope#relationships
What's Next, Papa?
Learning to Live in Joyful Expectation
Posted in: #characterdevelopment#workplace#worship
Look for the Beauty
At my precious mom's funeral, one of my brothers eulogized her ability to always "look for the beauty." As he shared, memories of the hours I spent driving my mom through Maine, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee flooded my mind. Often she would point out patches of wildflowers, unique cloud formations, and patterns in sedimentary rock formations . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#grief#guidance
It Wasn't Goodbye
a poem in memoriam
My extraordinary mother, Joyce Cole Dow, passed away on June 20, 2020. At her funeral, I was blessed to be able to share this poem inspired by many summer vacations in Maine spent at my grandmother’s cottage. This quaint retreat is nestled along the bank of a beautiful spring-fed lake. Behind the cottage is a steep, tree-covered . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#hope
May I Carry That for You?
One of the privileges I have working on the surgery floor of a children's hospital is to escort parents to recovery to see their child. Having walked with them through check-in, O.R. updates, and a post-surgical consult, it is particularly rewarding to lead the family back to the P.A.C.U. and to see the reaction on the patient's face when . . .
Posted in: #assurance#peace#workplace
It is What it Is...
but what if it's not?
One phrase that I have allowed to slip into my conversational vocabulary is, "Well, it is what it is." Usually, it's accompanied by a resigned sigh and an implied, "Suck it up, buttercup."
It makes sense, then, that as I pondered the account of Jairus in Mark 5, this emotionally acquiesced phrase bubbled to the surface. In the unfolding . . .
Awakening
I want it... and I need it
Not too long ago, I came across a video capturing the moment an infant's cochlear implant was activated. Appearing to be uncomfortable with the sound processor attached to his head, the baby squirmed in his mother's lap. In the background, the audiologist explained what was about to happen and then signaled that the receiver was now turned . . .
Posted in: #characterdevelopment#guidance#healing
