Over a Month - 27 November 2021 - Plague Journal Day 625

Micah 6:8
Revelation 21:1-5
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

It's been over a month now since my Dad died. It's a bizarre mixture of sadness, happiness, surprise, and grief. It's pretty much and every day occurrence that I think, "O, I should call Dad and tell him about that," and then I realize I don't know his number now.

It's much easier to deal with since we know he was both ready and prepared, but it's weird (as my cousin, Christy, said the other day) to be the oldest one in the family now. I can't call a parent to ask advice - now I'm the sage. Pray for my kids.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

What a Glorious, Rotten Day - 25 October 2021 - Plague Journal Day 592

Micah 6:8
Hosea 13:14  1 Corinthians 15:51-56
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today's post is coming a bit late, but I have a good reason for that - I'm simply worn out from emotion. My 92.7-year-old father died last night, and I've spent much of the day calling friends to tell them and making initial arrangements. Frankly, it sucks. (note: Dad was an engineer, so he would have liked the 92.7 age reference.)

Dad spent the last two months almost exclusively in a hospital bed, first in hospital, then at home where he could watch the birds in the back yard listen to the music and watch the things he wanted, and where he was in charge of how many visitors he could have. For a man who - right up to his hospital stay - was always able to be independent, being stuck in a bed, depending on others for everything was pure torture.

It was amazing to watch him when he had visits - whether from friends and family or from the hospice folks - as he was always still interested in and checking on how everyone else was doing. He never lost that other-people-are-important sense of the world. He still treated everyone with even more respect than they deserved - a model for the rest of us.

I am going to miss him fiercely, but I'm happy to know he's gone to be with his Lord, and with his beloved Shirley, my Mom. I'm looking forward to seeing them both someday.

To add commemoration to injury, today, the day after Dad died, was the 29th anniversary of the death of Roger Miller, one of Dad's musical heroes.



Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Waiting on God - 23 October 2021 - Plague Journal Day 590

Micah 6:8
2 Peter 3:9
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Maybe you've heard this one:

The cable company posts a job opening for an installer.
The first installer applicant shows up to the scheduled interview 45 minutes late.
"You're hired," says the interviewer.

That's how people are, aren't we? We don't always deliver on time. We don't always meet expectations - not even our own.
God is different, but we have our own perceptions to get around. He's never late - He's always there in His time - but it sure seems like it to us.

As the song says, "He may not come when you want Him, but He's right on time."

Well, that's where we are right now, waiting for Dad to go home to his Lord. Dad's ready, we're resigned, but apparently it's not God's time yet. Prayers are coveted and appreciated.


Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

RIP Ernie Harwell

We all knew it was coming, and we've likely never known anyone who was actually so ready for it, but death is always a shock no matter what.

The one time I met Ernie, I could tell that he was just as cool as we thought he was from listening to him on the radio (I miss the Tigers on WJR, and I'm not even a baseball fan); he was a genuinely nice, kind gentleman.

I do have one (continuing) regret related to Ernie. He had some kind of connection with our church, and every year as I started the planning for the Lenten Devotion book, I thought that I should send Ernie a letter and ask for a bit of devotional writing from him - but I never did. Now I never will.

Still, I know that Ernie is in Heaven (and I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean he's in an Iowa cornfield with a bunch of dead baseball players), and he's happy. No, happy wouldn't be the half of it - Joy is the serious business of Heaven, and Ernie was always good at Joy.

He'll be missed.

Oh, and it's time to add to the name at Comerica Park: Harwell Field at Comerica Park has a wonderful ring, don't you think?