…went the clock. The day was a blur. Here goes, Marley and Me style. 12:00 a.m. — Returned from an emergency visit to the hospital. 12:30 a.m. — Bid farewell to my secretary who came to watch the boys so I could go to the hospital. 1:15 a.m. — Went to sleep. 6:30 a.m. — The first sounds from Aiden. 6:45 a.m. — Cracked my eyes open to see Cooper crawling into my bed. 7:00 — Aiden is up. Cooper is up....

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Ok, I’ve got a plan. There was an amazing parishioner at my last charge. She was a self-starter in pastoral care, though it’s likely she doesn’t know that. Self-starters are amazing. They’re the life source of a functional church (you know…..other than God). Pastors love, love, love them and need them. Churches need them too. Sometimes they don’t know that. I loved this woman very much and still do....

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I had a long day at the office. Really it started late. I didn’t get to the church until 10:45. It was intentional. I stayed straight through until choir tonight and when I do that, in order to find some balance and not short-change my children, I spend some time in the morning with them and come in later. I got home at almost 8:00 tonight. The boys were already asleep. I was a hot shower away from hitting it myself. I got in the shower...

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The following is a bit general and relatively cryptic. Back when I was in college I made a pretty big mistake. Actually, it wasn’t a mistake. The way I understand mistakes is that they’re much like accidents. They are things beyond our control. They just happen. This “thing” didn’t just happen. I was very well-aware of it. It happened. It was. It sucked (sorry, but it did). I hurt for a long time over it and...

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I haven’t written since my mom died. Mom died. And still it just doesn’t slip off my fingers (off the tongue) without a fight. It doesn’t taste right. It’s just as wrong as it was yesterday and just as cruel was it was 6 months ago. I’ve written a thousand posts since then in my head — “blogs” that rival Lamentations and half the Psalms — writings that put Job’s misery and bipolar...

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It’s time. Honestly, it is so far beyond time for the admittance. I have to confess something and since it’s kind of the season for it…….here goes (dramatic pause for effect*): I am human. Now, let’s break down the reality of what that means. First, it means that I, though a clergy-person and called to a pretty steep standard (not by the church or the conference or my superior, but by God), am not God. God is...

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