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Last Wednesday, we had the good fortune to be able to share dinner with Karen Reider and her oldest son, Aiden. The next day, they left on a year long adventure - one of hope and healing; one of suspense and surprise; one of growth and challenge. I have posted the link on the left to her blog - My Attempt at RTV - but she has also just posted the first video segment of their trip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYOfmqXehk4 . Karen - we send you love and prayers!

You will notice that like many other bloggers, I have a list of blogs posted here that I encourage you to check out. They cover a wide range of interests and are on the list for a variety of reasons. Some are friends, some are folks I don't know but appreciate what they have to say. I especially want to point you to the blog I just added to the list: my attempt at RTV, written by Karen Reider, life partner of the late singer/songwriter Katie Reider who died much too young this past summer. Karen and her boys are trying to pick up the pieces after Katie's death and this blog allows Karen to share the journey with us all. It's a gift to all of us who knew Katie and know Karen, and it's a gift to anyone who has lost someone they hold dear.

Later today, I will speak at the funeral service for an elderly member of the church who died suddenly last weekend. Since she was the only member of her family who belonged to the congregation I serve, her daughter decided to have her own pastor and church handle the service. I'll just say a few words on behalf of Good Shepherd during the sharing time. One of the things I LOVE to do at funerals is get people laughing. There is something truly healing about a well told story, with a well understood twist, which highlights a quirky part of the deceased's personality. Members at Good Shepherd know this about me, expect it, and look forward to it (I think). But since I'm not on my home turf today, here is a story I will NOT tell at the service for Jan Crusoe: Just after I began my tenure at Good Shepherd, one of the saints of the church took me around to meet the folks on the "shut in" list. He planned for us to have only a quick visit - just a few minutes to introdu...