Sound the Alarm

Silent night, Holy night.

All is calm…

Well, not quite.

Not at all, actually.

…

Stay

“Stay.”

The command was clear and firm… and it appeared to be just about killing her…

But she listened.  Perhaps it was a combination of her loyalty, her desire to please her master, and the fact that she ultimately knew that he would be faithful.  Even so, staying was nearly impossible.

Recognition

• The “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621.
• The observance of a “national day of prayer, humiliation, and thanksgiving” was celebrated collectively after a proclamation by President George Washington in 1789.
• Thanksgiving Day became a federal holiday in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

I Don’t Walk Alone

We’ve all had some kind of belief passed down to us, whether that be Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam or even Atheism. Our up-bringing gives us a platform by which we view the world.

Beyond the Deluge

It’s probably just me, but I don’t recall seeing the sunshine while coping with the worst of my grief. Days seemed chronically cold and dreary, the air was almost too thick to breath. I couldn’t seem to focus on anything that wasn’t held in my hand. Nights were long and restless, interrupted by the reoccurring nightmares that made the thought of returning to my pillow truly unappealing.

Just Like Me

With less than a handful of people in the dealership waiting room, I had high hopes for a swift and uneventful service experience. I plopped down in a seat directly across from a young trendy looking guy with a huge beard, wearing one of those slouch beanie hats, and flaunting a tee-shirt that read:

“Fact — the four letter word atheists swear by.”

Naked Ladies

An old wives tale:
It’s not proper to thank those who share flowers from their gardens — instead you are to promise you’ll give the plants a good home.

Believe

I still believe in Christmas. I still believe what it embodies. I believe in the gift that I can’t live without and I’m overwhelmed by the selfless devotion of the giver.

In the Wake of the Edmund Fitzgerald

On November 10, 1975 the Great Lakes freighter, SS Edmund Fitzgerald was caught in the midst of a severe winter storm on Lake Superior. With near hurricane-force winds and waves up to 35 feet high, the Fitzgerald sank in waters 530 feet deep, approximately 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay.  Her crew of 29 all perished, and the bodies were never recovered.

The River

 

I clung to the log for what seemed like more than a half hour. The cold water was pouring over my head and I could sense that my legs and right arm had become numb.