A Pastor in The Northwest

As some of you know, we said goodbye to my mother-in-law, Jackie's mother Mary on Saturday at St. Philipps Catholic Church. Even though it helped many of us with some closure, it was a heavy day. To be sure, it was good to see family and friends we'd either not met or hadn't seen in a long time. I was honored to be able to offer the eulogy/homily for the mass and honor Mary's life in a small way. She will be missed and her life will certainly live on in our memories. One thing that stood out for me Saturday was the contrast between the passing of one life and the new life represented by new babies present and to come. In fact, the entire time the mass was happening, the unceasing cries of baby Chester drifted from the lobby. His mom was part of the mass so Chester's uncle had the task of holding him - and he wouldn't have it. I admit, it made me smile as I spoke. The old passes and the new is here. It reminded me of Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:17: The

To help you increase your level of trivial knowledge, here's some helpful info... December 13th...on this day in history: The clip-on tie designed (1928) First music store opens in the United States in Philadelphia (1759) December 13th is also National Horse Day and the birthday of the National Guard - who knew? But, even better, drumroll please...December 13th is also National Ice Cream AND National Cocoa Day! FUN FACT: My older brother and I used to put powdered cocoa mix (Nestle of course) on our vanilla ice cream - only now have we learned they share the same National holiday date! Today and everyday is special simply because we are alive and loved by God! Everyday is the right day to celebrate the goodness of God and His good creation. As the text in Genesis 1:31 proclaims, "Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day." Scripture tells us to focus on each day - one at a time (Matt

And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away. - 1 Samuel 15:23 As a musician, this verse has always struck a chord (literally!) with me. Why? This is a glimpse of the God-given power that music can have in our lives during times of trouble and celebration. Have you ever experienced this? I think we know this intuitively - this mysterious power of music. Think of movie soundtracks, stadium sports songs, and that high school anthem music we used to dance to! In fact, there are several studies out there praising the therapeutic value of both listening and playing music. I learned to play guitar largely by learning and playing songs of worship, so, music and my walk with the Lord are closely connected. Music can also bring healing and comfort when we're in a bad place and desperately need the melody, rhythms, and solace of instruments and songs of lament. That's why we embr