I have an older brother by thirteen months, so we are really close to being “Irish Twins.” As a parent and now grandparent, I can’t imagine having two boys this close in age and I am sure we were a handful. One day mom went to the basement to do laundry and my brother and […]
One of my favorite things about leading a team to Haiti is our reflection time each night. We talk about what happened during the day, where we saw God that day, and then we pose a question to the group. Each night a different person chooses the question. I have a book of questions that […]
I attended a meeting in Chicago and we had an evening meal with a local church that has seen its neighborhood change. Like many congregations, the choices are adapt or fail. This small congregation has decided to embrace refugee and immigrant families and reformat its future. After sharing a meal together, families from different continents […]
My son’s neighborhood had a gathering of all the children to meet with Santa. Our son told our granddaughter that she needed to tell Santa that she’d been naughty but that she’d be nice from now until Christmas. Thought this was an interesting statement from the kid who didn’t sleep an entire night until he […]
My father, Boyd Blumer, started from humble beginnings. The farm where he grew up was modest, farming less than one section of land to feed a family of seven. He began his education in a one-room school house that he walked or rode horse to and from (allegedly in waist deep snow, uphill, in 80 […]
I’ve had some different relationships with death. Growing up, we rarely would go out to eat. If dad had a funeral and received an honorarium, he’d take the family to a restaurant. While I can’t say I hoped for people to die, it sure was nice to go out to eat every once in a […]
Over the years I’ve had people ask me why I didn’t become a pastor. Because I preach fairly regularly and work with churches, some people actually think I am ordained. I respect those who serve and believe it’s not an easy path, but here’s Why I’m Not a Pastor: Not a huge fan of hospitals […]