Sometimes you blink and thirty years have passed.
Here’s photographic evidence, unexpectedly provided by a friend today, who came across a box of old photos:
I didn’t know I was an early adopter of “duck face”, although more likely I was giving a kiss to my friend. And for those who know me - please note the dark hair. Both Lydia and I noted the similarity in looks between her and our daughter, as well.
This was a picture from our Junior prom that we attended with a group of Seniors and other Juniors from our youth group. We did a progressive dinner and Lydia thinks this was taken at Dante’s Down the Hatch in Underground Atlanta. Thirty years ago this past spring.
There’s joy in remembering these old memories and there is joy in being able to continue to make new ones.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to travel to Boston and Western Massachusetts. A part of the country neither of us had been. We did so as a celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary, which was in August. It seems we were a little early for the turning of the leaves, but I have found there is much I am not in control of and that is okay.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from that trip:
Whether the Lord grants another thirty days or thirty years, I am grateful for the opportunity we had together recently. There will always be seasons that are long and hard. We have had them. But I also expect to blink and find they have passed at some point. That is a mercy. And much of the rest is joy.
Welcome to a few new subscribers - I am grateful to have you here. Feel free to share if you think there is something helpful, worthwhile, or provokes a contemplation of joy.
Reading Joy
Surprisingly, I lost a subscriber due to my reading choices. I received an email to that affect, though I am not sure which specific book caused offense. I’ve always been an open book — no pun intended ;-) — so I will keep sharing what I am reading and my thoughts about those books.
Since it has been a few weeks since I last wrote and being able to read while on vacations, I have completed my reading of several novels and one ministry related book. These are books 40-44 for me on the year.
The Lincoln Highway By Amor Towles: This is the first of his books that I have read and now I understand why he has gained readership. Towles’ knows how to craft both sentences and storylines that cause you to think. There was an undercurrent of tragedy that carries the drama and adventure that the characters find themselves a part or or create themselves. That carries through to the very end, which was hard. All does not always end well. And yet, it was a very good book.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: this was a delightful mystery featuring a small group of retirees in a British retirement community that use their past experiences and their present circumstances to solve a few crimes. That includes using people’s expectations or assumptions about those who are older to their advantage. This is the first of a series and I expect to read the next one at some point.
The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk: apparently this was made into a Netflix movie or series, but I have not seen it. Thriller, page-turner type featuring an FBI agent with a past being used against him and a Russian plot against the US. Nothing earth-shattering here, but mildly entertaining. The right kind of reading on a plane.
Five Years After by William Fortschen: I was not expecting a fourth book in the post-apocalyptic series that follows one particular man and his community following the collapse of modern-life due to an EMP attack that renders all electronics unusable. I happened to see this at the library and welcomed the return to Black Mountain, NC and Montreat College — a place I visited a few years ago that helps some of the story come to life. I am always interested in character driven stories surrounded by circumstances where normal life has been stripped away. Who you are in those moments is who you really are. The Lord of the Flies and similar books have a place in literature and storytelling.
On Guard: Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse at Church by Deepak Reju. This was a very hard, but important book to read. There is a reason that predators, especially sexual predators, infiltrate churches. The more we can be aware of our weaknesses (whether in procedures, physical spaces, or the propensity to trust) and the tactics of abusers, the better we will be at protecting the vulnerable. I am indebted to our Children’s Ministry Coordinator for pushing our Church forward in this area.
Interestingly, my fiction and non-fiction reading is pretty even (23 & 21 books, respectively, at the moment). Feel confident that I will hit my reading goal of 52 books this year.
On the Nightstand:
Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. Now on page 445 of 484 - so close to finishing this massive history. I started reading this months ago. Might even be done with this by the time you read this newsletter.
Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church by Michael Kruger. Another book I wish didn’t need to exist, but sadly does. Therefore, I am reading to be more aware and to think about how I can better shepherd my congregation and those I have the opportunity to influence. On page 97 of 145 [ending page number excludes notes or other indices].
Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt by Diana Gurver. Just getting started on this one that I have borrowed from a friend.
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann. Another book I am just starting, but am really looking forward to this one. I have read Grann’s Killers of the Flower Moon, The Lost City of Z, and The White Darkness previously.
The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb. On page 30 of 195. This has been set aside for now, but will return to it.
I’ll end with a couple of sleeping pug pictures for you.
As always, thank you for reading.
Where might you find joy this weekend and the week to come?
Oh, and congrats on 30!
Yeah, well you could lose me if you keep praising Lincoln Highway . . . just kidding. I loved A Gentleman in Moscow, and compared to that classy read, LH made little sense to me. But, sigh, you won't lose me that easy. If you like Ambrose, read Band of Brothers, and his book about the transcontinental railroad, the latter particularly fascinating, and try to forget that he later fell into disgrace for plagiarism.