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Revival
I suppose it began on my birthday during my Galveston retreat with God when He revealed to me the extent of my unhappiness. It has lingered even in my safe place – work. Click HERE to read the post mentioned above. There is a long underground walkway connecting the building where the main chaplain offices…
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Never Meant to Be a Rock Star
As I adventure into drumming again, I contemplate what life at almost fifty would look like had that little girl never given up on a dream. Could I have made it as a rock star? Doubtful. Two memories vie for top billing as excuses for my dream deferred: ONE: After an argument with my sister,…
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The Morning After
I woke up this morning with a hangover, without the usual prerequisite of too much alcohol consumption the night before. What I experienced is what is referred to as an emotional hangover – after an emotionally charged day, I often wake up the next morning with hangover-like symptoms. I have been reading a book by…
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An Emotional Stump
I wake up most mornings with a song stuck in my head. Most of the time, the lyrics offer a parable into my subconscious mind. If I give it voice beyond the melody, I may chance hearing God speak. This morning, grudgingly waking to a new day after the fast-paced demands of a hospital chaplain…
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A Reflection on Traffic
As past posts have suggested, I have recently become addicted to Mayim Bialik’s podcast, Breakdown. Although still several years behind, I recently listened to the Timber Hawkeye episode, which led me to his podcast, Buddhist Boot Camp. I am fascinated by Buddhist philosophy and intrigued by Timber Hawkeye. I am hooked. Surprised that a devout…
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Abbey of . . . Galveston – Day 4, My Birthday
I planned this retreat for this week specifically so that it would conclude on my birthday. Only God knew how much I would need this trip at exactly this time in my life. Ever since I had cancer, I elected to spend my birthdays doing something I have never done before or something that scared…
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Abbey of . . . Galveston – Day 2 and 3
I originally intended to keep the unedited journal concept going, but after this evening’s adventure, I elected to simply provide the highlights rather send my readers down the rabbit trail of my internal dialogues with God. Day 2 I had the bright idea to walk to the pier in the opposite direction from the one…
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Abbey of . . . Galveston
Below is an entry from my prayer journal in its raw, unedited version. I haven’t even gone back to re-read it other than to delete personal names and add some photos. I’m afraid that if I re-read it or attempted to edit it for grammar or clarity, I would lose my nerve and never hit…
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Stay
I bought my first house – closed just a few weeks shy of my 48th birthday. And it’s terrifying. The fear stems not from the normal first-time-home-buyer worries such as money and the new obligations and responsibilities of home ownership. Rather, my trepidation stems from one word: STAY. I have spent my life living like…
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Christmas Hits Different
When a patient’s family longs for hope, they often seek out that hope from me. They have been told one thing from the medical team and now crave a different diagnosis from a higher power (meaning God, not me). What I often tell them is that, in the end, when the medical team says there…