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Perfectly Average
Without a doubt being a parent is one of the most rewarding and difficult vocations that there is. I think every parent knows this. This certainly isn’t anything new. It truly is self-giving. This is probably why it is so rewarding because it truly isn’t about you at the end of the day. As parents, we certainly get our daily reminders of that. (The once-a-month slight nods of appreciation from our kids before right back to not being able to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, WHAT IS THAT!!) I recently had a conversation with some parents about the idea of our kids being average. I remember the look…
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Baseball, Friendship, and Bathroom Prophecy
It has been great to reconnect with some friends since returning stateside. Due to the time difference and schedules while living in Switzerland it was hard to touch base even if the desire was there. That said, it’s amazing how easily you can pick back up right where you left off with your close friends. This made me think, what makes a connection like this possible? One good friend of mine is someone that I met while playing professional baseball. We were both 18 years old and fresh out of high school. We immediately connected with the same love of music but honestly, besides that, there wasn’t much of a…
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Mystery and Mirrors
The winds were overwhelming but calming. The periods of rain were drenching but refreshing. The brisk air cut threw your skin but awakened the very breath of life. Standing in its midst was somehow a confrontation with truth. The Highlands of Scotland, with all of its history and mysticism, with its struggle for freedom and bloodshed, was one of the most peaceful places I have been. Isolated by its barren lands yet consumed by its beauty, it was a paradox that touched me deeply. How could such bareness and lack of color produce such overwhelming beauty? How can a place engrossed with emptiness be overflowing with an undeniable…
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Happy New Year…Cheers to Cranberry Juice and Coffee
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. There is something natural about the desire to start anew. To start fresh. To begin something with a clean slate. A new calendar year gives us an invitation to do so. Maybe we have been resisting a change, maybe we want to try something new, or maybe the new year gives us the courage to finally get serious about something that we have ignored in the past. There is a lot of grace in any and all of those things and I hope that each and every one of you have the courage to make this new year what you…
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The Castle on the Hill
A few weeks ago the lyrics echoed through the household just as I heard them for the first time. That time years ago when driving my two sons down the narrow country road in Worb, Switzerland. “I’m on my way Driving at ninety down those country lanes Singing to “Tiny Dancer” And I miss the way you make me feel, and it’s real We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill” -Ed Sheeran “Castle on the Hill” Listening then, as we passed the 12th Century Worb Castle like we did every day, I couldn’t help but wonder what impact this song, this place, this castle would have on…
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Yes, I Am In Your Business
Since moving back to the States, chances are that if I was in the next aisle from you in Target, I heard everything that you were saying to your friend on the phone. I heard what type of cheese you ordered standing in the deli line at the grocery store (and how many people were coming to your house for the dinner party). I heard every single conversation that 20 different parents were having at the bus stop, all at the same time! Even sitting now at a local café I am completely distracted by not only the conversation between the two workers behind the counter but also the conversation…
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Bonnie Scotland
Over the course of the last two and half years, we have been very fortunate to have traveled a part of the world that we have never seen before. And I think we can all agree that these experiences are not to be taken for granted. Mainly because every time you have an opportunity to experience a new place, a new culture, or a new landscape, it brings you out of your own ego, your own perceptions, your own narrow reality. And for this, we are very grateful. We have been to many different countries and cities over the course of the last few years and each one has left…
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Rounding Second Base
(Photo: The Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic: Good Friday, 2017) This post is a bit long, disjointed, maybe a lot of rambling, and yes, it might not make much sense, but in light of the week (Holy Week) and my last post, “Finding Freedom,” I was compelled to write it. I have recently found myself thinking of a few short stories that my pastor in the States would bring up, time and time again, hoping that it would sink in. Incredibly, life usually indicates whether you can receive the intended message when it is given to you. In other words, you can’t rush the meaning if you aren’t ready to…
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Year Two
And just like that, the second year has come and gone. It is hard to believe that we have been calling Switzerland our home now for two years. This year was a wonderful year of travel (5 different countries), many great family visits, and tremendous growth and experiences for our two boys. Although there is much that is the same from our first year (here is a link to that list), namely, the beauty of the country, the balanced pace of life, and especially making sure that we have 2 CHF on us at all times for the WC, things have definitely changed a bit during our second year. Things…
