Sep
07
2022
Yesterday, I wrote about my Dad’s response to people aggressively purporting their beliefs. Dad’s navigation of dogmatism greatly influenced me. A few years ago, a man in the Portland airport entered our gate and began waving his arms and...
Sep
06
2022
Dad had an expansive faith. He rooted his faith in both firm convictions and deepest wonder and awe. One of his good friends has strong opinions about faith, so absolute and dogmatic. Dogmatic means you lay down principles as...
Sep
05
2022
My Dad loved hard work. He had a paper route at the age of nine. I visited Dad's hometown this summer to watch one of our amazing directors. I remember Dad talking about pedaling up the hills around Anacortes...
Sep
02
2022
Shann and I subscribe to the Gottman Marriage minute. It’s a perfect, short reminder with simple steps to improve relationships. A recent message asked, “Do you like each other?” I immediately thought of my Dad as I read this...
Sep
01
2022
Many of you who read Words of Hope know my Dad. Maybe some of you have never met him. After his passing, one person who contacted me kept talking about how intense he was at camp, how much my...
Aug
31
2022
When Dad was younger, he could easily provoke people into frustration. He loved to induce people to anger, especially on the basketball court. He intentionally wanted to press his opponent to be rattled by him or his team. He...
Aug
30
2022
I was rereading Dad’s Words of Hope on anxiety he wrote on April 21, 2021. He discusses lessons learned from nurse Laurie who served with Hospice for many years. Dad asked Laurie about the differences between those who die...
Aug
29
2022
I recently went to a memorial, and one of the main verses was Ecclesiastes 7:2. I took time to look at this verse in various translations. The King James version says, "Sorrow is better than Laughter; for by the...
Aug
26
2022
I was traveling through the Denver airport recently when I noticed I was drinking from a bottle that wasn't mine. Someone else had left a half-open water bottle near me, and somehow, I had mistakenly started drinking from it—something...
Aug
25
2022
My Dad valued people from all walks of life. He thanked and honored those many would overlook. He believed in leaving places better than when you found them. He honored janitors and housekeeping staff. He would thank each person...
