To those who served, fought, and died…Thank You.

To say that Star Wars was an intrical part of my childhood is a gross misunderstatement. It consumed my childhood. Action figures, vehicles, movie posters, soundtracks, comics, etc. were all a part of my cherished collection.

Emphasis on “were.” That’s past tense. A past that is tense because of a depressingly fateful day.

To prepare for Easter I went shopping at Aldi and bought bottles of sparkling grape juice and a bouquet of red roses for our host table. We had people loan their long stemware so that everyone could have a glass to toast with. During the worship service the leaders would declare “He is Risen,” and people would respond with raised glasses, “He is Risen Indeed.”

Have you ever been in a season when you didn’t know how stressed you were, how tired your muscles had become, how you were gasping for air instead of breathing deeply? This last year, I’ve been able to breathe deeply again. I feel a sustained inner rest for the first time in a long time.

The little things will be forgotten.  You know, the stuff that gives texture to life.  Like how Girlie says hamburger.  Right now she says, “ham-buh-burger.” It’s precious, and it won’t last.  Soon she will say it correctly and won’t ever go back to saying it confidently wrong.  That’s a small piece of life that carries [...]