Our Shared Stories

Oral tradition is basic to a tribe’s nature and character, indeed to the very cohesiveness of the group. It holds us together and gives us a common body of knowledge that motivates us, sometimes for good and sometimes for ill. I spent four years as a children’s librarian/storyteller. I would travel to elementary schools and …

God Is Holding Me Captive

A woman from another country and her 14 year old daughter live in our home with us. They have done so for 7 years. During those years the mom has studied for and obtained a masters degree and a PhD. Now for the past few months she has been looking for a job as a …

Fires? What fires?

Stories, anyone’s stories, are precious. We like them best perhaps when we are sitting around a campfire just before bed, not that I have a lot of experience with stories around the campfire. Heck, I got kicked out of the Boy Scouts. I did, nevertheless, learn how to start a campfire. I also learned how …

Flight

Hunter is 5 feet long from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. 80 pounds. Not a small chap. Just after Christmas we took a trip from Portland (OR) to visit family in Alaska. So, we were on an airplane to Anchorage. It’s a 4 hour flight, give or take. Theoretically, …

Semi-Trailer

I’m not sure why or how this happens. I’m sure it has something to do with depression. That’s what my therapist says. I do know that one time it had to do with medication. I was driving home after teaching a class in Salem (OR) and I was along side a big semi-trailer. It occurred …

Strive for Peace

John of the Cross said, “Strive to preserve your heart in peace; let no event of this world disturb it.” Easier said than done. I’m going to “spill the beans” in this first post. I find it exceptionally hard these days to “let no event of this world disturb it.” I wake up every morning …