This afternoon we will gather to celebrate our God and honor Mary Jeanne Buttrey. In that order. The first half of the service was crafted by Mary Jeanne herself.  She selected the songs and texts and themes. The second half? Not so much. Her family has put together...

By the time you read this on Sunday morning, I (and our group) will be somewhere over the polar ice cap, I hope. It has been a wonderful two weeks, but there is no place like home. Friday, we walked up onto and into the palace Herod the Great built outside Bethlehem...

On my thirteenth trip to Israel, you’d think I would get my act together.  Think again. I’ve only remembered to put on my sunscreen once. I have yet to remember to bring my walking stick with me out of the bus. I remembered my knee support once (today). Of course, I...

In 1992 I was invited to go to Israel with my father-in-law. He had been many times and I reluctantly joined him. We only had two children at that time, but Christie let me go (her dad had asked). During that trip I developed a love for The Land. In Jerusalem, our...

Tuesday afternoon was beautiful – off Western Avenue at least. At home is was ugly with a capital U. But I wasn’t home. I was standing in the sun, warm as toast. From my vantage point, I could see the final resting places of many dear friends of Peninsula. I have been...

Today is a big day in our family. This very day. Our baby turns 30. Of course, he’s not so thrilled, but how does he think that makes ME feel? The answer is: Really old. That day 30 years ago was most interesting. Christie tends to have babies rather quickly (after...

A podcast, “The Viral Jesus,” asked several college students about what kind of guidance they seek in older adults. They mentioned that they appreciated things like talking about their individual journeys, with some mentorship and accountability.  They found...

The text arrived early on Monday morning. It was not a surprise, but still painful. Bob Easton, who cast a large shadow while here at Peninsula, was with Jesus. He was an Elder, supporter, adult teacher, mentor. He worked for Boeing well passed a normal retirement...

After a three-year hiatus, we are returning to Bombo, Uganda in August for our thirteenth “annual” medical mission. It will be hard to reboot the clinic, which began in 2008.  In that year we were overwhelmed by 1,480 patient visits. At our last clinic in 2019, we...

It has certainly been a month. Painful. Quiet. Long nights. short days. But some amazing storms to enjoy under a warm blanket since I had nowhere to go. There have been ups and downs and lots of pain. I’m told that the presence of pain does not mean a lack of progress...