heartbeats & home

I'm in Palm Harbor, Florida. I grew up here. This is the first time in 14 years I've done more than drive by my home town. My grandparents returned here a year ago, and I came over here for a visit because my (Pop) grandfather's health isn't so great. I'm processing an adolescence cut short from moving away from home and coming to grips with the beginning stages of grief for the man who plays a major role in my life.


After a laundry list of health challenges and falls, Pop is in a rehab facility for several types of physical therapy. Quite honestly, my family doesn't know what's going to happen. Knowing him, he could be around another 25 years, but I decided to come down anyway to avoid regrets.
Last night, before we left his rehab facility Pop asked if we could pray together as a family. We happily agreed.

My family took turns in prayer, but while we did I got down on my knees in front of Pop's wheel chair and put my head on his chest, just like I used to when I was a boy. We had an evening ritual. We'd play baseball. He'd pitch and I'd bat. I'd break a lot of stuff. He'd cheer. We'd wrestle. I'd win. Then we would settle down on the couch. Pop would stand me up in front of him and smile upon me. He'd call me, "Michael Joseph." That's not my legal name, but he didn't care. It had deep meaning for him, a destiny that he spoke over quite often. After a while I'd put my head on his chest as he read the paper. With the beat of his heart in one ear and CNN in the other, I'd drift to sleep nightly.

These past few health challenges have slowed Pop down quite a bit. His feet shuffle, his voice is soft, and he has trouble doing things he used to. However, when I heard his heart I was connected to him...the real him.

I'm not quite sure of what to make all of this. I'm walking and driving these streets that look so familiar, but I get turned around. The salty Florida air invigorates my lungs and I am breathing deeper than I can in Texas. I sit with my hero and talk, but then there are moments when I loose him...just for a second and then he's back.

I'm so grateful for those heart beats. I can hear them now.

God, I know you love Pop. I know you will be the God we know you are.

Elevate 2009 Review Movie

Last night in Florida

Here is the view from our room.

Walking the Bible: Part I

      The second time through this book is even better than the first! I also own the DVD documentary that Bruce Feiler made about his experience tracing the story of the first five books of the bible. His adventure greatly inspired me along my own journey of faith. Last night I was reading about Bruce's inquiries into Biblical Archeology.

     He was talking to Gabi Barkay, an accomplished Archeologist. Gabi is also a great resource when it comes to the Bible's relationship to historical fact.He guided Bruce through this tricky relationship.


     "I'm a local Jew," he said. "I don't care whether this or that detail is incorrect in the Bible. It doesn't change my attitude toward the Bible, toward religion, toward God. Or toward myself. But In America, there was an idea that the Bible is a kind of machine; if you prove that two of the screws really existed, then the whole machine existed, and if you take out two of the screws, the whole thing collapses. But the Bible is not a machine. It doesn't have screws."

   Gabi switched on a light for me in many ways. First of all, I noticed how my western mind and cultural influence effected the way I look at the Bible. I had to ask some tough questions about what I believe, which I think strengthened my faith in the end. Lastly, he taught me that the writers of the first testament (most Christians call it the Old Testament) did not have an interest in recording history as we know it today. I can't expect the writers of these texts to anticipate what people thousands of years in the future would be interested in. They recorded a magnificent story about land, people, creation, and redemption.

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Southwest Adventure: Update

We made it off the plane and home safely, but when I came home I found a lovely little travel voucher in my mail box along with a nice letter from the head of marketing for Southwest. They explained what happened to the plane and apologized for the inconvenience. They hoped that free air fair could make up for my stress and...it did!!! :)