Category: Life Lessons – Experience
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Every Family Has Stories Worth Remembering
There is an old saying, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.” Every family has stories they celebrate and stories they would rather keep hidden. Yet those hidden stories are just as much a part of who we are. Growing up, I never knew my grandparents. They had all died before…
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Experience Is the Best Teacher
The famous Roman general Julius Caesar once wrote, Ut est rerum omnium magister usus—”Experience is the best teacher.” Isn’t that the truth? Have you ever done something you immediately wished you hadn’t? One of those moments that seemed like a good idea at the time but ended up teaching you a lesson you never forgot?…
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Moon Pies, RC Cola, and the Grace of Change
Remember Moon Pies? Two graham crackers with a marshmallow filling in the middle, dipped in chocolate—or, if you were lucky, covered with that wonderful banana-flavored coating. And what about RC Cola? Growing up, it was a special treat whenever Daddy stopped at the little country store to fill the truck with gas and pick up…
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The Voice of the Voiceless
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” — Luke 4:18 Tomorrow at St. James Episcopal Church, our summer study of the saints brings us to Archbishop Oscar Romero. As I have reflected on his life, I have discovered…
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Curious Pilgrim Daily Office Reflection
June 24, 2026 Thus Far the Lord Has Helped Us Daily Office Readings: Psalm 101, 1 Samuel 7:2–17, Acts 6:1–15, Luke 22:14–23 If someone asked me to summarize today’s Daily Office readings in one sentence, I would simply say: Godly leadership is not about power—it is about integrity, faithfulness, service, and self-giving love. Each reading…
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The Curious Pilgrim
When God Opens Our Eyes This morning I read a social media post from a woman who had walked through PrideFest in downtown Springfield, Missouri. She described the experience as though she had walked into Sodom and Gomorrah. She seemed fearful, convinced that danger surrounded her. She was troubled that families and children were present.…
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The Sin We Often Forget
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection Tomorrow I will stand before the bishop at St. James Episcopal Church in Springfield, Missouri, and be confirmed as a member of the Episcopal Church. Today, during our confirmation class, we discussed the definition of sin found in the Book of Common Prayer: “Sin is the seeking of our own will…
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Why My Pilgrimage Led Me Home
A Curious Pilgrim Reflection On Sunday, June 7, 2026, I will kneel before the bishop and be confirmed as a member of St. James Episcopal Church in Springfield, Missouri. At seventy-six years old, some might wonder why anyone would make such a change. Others will understand immediately. Life is a journey. More importantly, life is…
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When Power Forgets Love
Politics, Religion, Economics, and the Courage to Remain Human A Curious Pilgrim Reflection on Romans 13:1–7 Daily Reflection Scripture: Romans 13:1–7 Few passages in Scripture have created more confusion, fear, debate, and misuse than Romans 13:1–7. For centuries these verses have been quoted to demand unquestioning obedience to rulers, governments, political systems, and even religious…
The Curious Pilgrim 