Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
I have always been a cat person. While I like dogs, and my previous dog Halo was the best pet ever, in general I have a thing for cats. There is one problem with cats. They die. One of the pets that we have had the longest was a cat named Whitney. We got her … Read More “Goodbye Whitney” »
1 Thessalonians 4:13 Introduction One of my interests is studying world religions. I find it fascinating how different people have addressed the big questions of life. Often when we compare the different religions, we begin by comparing and contrasting the different answers that they offer. But long before that, we should be looking at the … Read More “Grief With Hope” »
I have always been a cat person. Growing up, we had more cats than I can remember. For about the last twelve years, we have had cats. I love cats but there is one thing I don’t like about them. Cats (and all pets) get sick and die. Until recently, we had four cats. The … Read More “Goodbye Pekoe” »
This may seem like an odd subject for my weekly Good News post but I want to acknowledge that it was one year ago tomorrow that my father-in-law, Mark Peschell died. Obviously I am sad that he is no longer with us but my Good News is that I’m thankful for knowing him. Unfortunately, the … Read More “Good News: Remembering My Father-in-Law” »
John 11:1-45 Introduction Do you remember your first experience with death? You may have had some vague sense that death was a thing but at a certain point, death became real. I’m not talking about the death of a beloved pet or animal, not that I’m trying to diminish the pain of such a loss. … Read More “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn” »
What is Blue Christmas? Blue Christmas is an acknowledgment that Christmas isn’t joyful for everyone and that some people feel “blue,” often because of the loss of a loved one. Many churches offer a Blue Christmas service. But what I have noticed is that the majority of churches offer Blue Christmas as a separate service … Read More “Why I Do Blue Christmas on a Sunday Morning” »
One of the most frequent questions I get as a pastor is whether the grief from losing a loved one ever gets easier. I can only answer from my own experience. Today, I had to take Amanda for some routine tests at a hospital. It just happened to be the same hospital where my mother … Read More “It Never Fully Goes Away” »
