Two years have passed since the prayer garden at the Salvation Army in Lewisville was completed. If you don't know the story of its creation, there are several earlier posts you can read. I remember looking over it with pride, every detail finished. There were...
Making Waves Blog
Turning Down the Volume
I've been watching a story lately. It is a modern take on an age-old tale. It is about a brother and sister who are young adults born into a special purpose. However while they are seeking their destinies, everyone they encounter seems to have their own plans for...
Do you know the story of St Patrick?
During a slow time this past Saturday, Kim and I dropped by the Walmart Superstore. It was my idea. I had shopping to do. First, I rushed to the cereal aisle and bought a Family Size box of chocolate Lucky Charms. Thinking better of it, I got two. On the way across...
God Bless My Healers
CRASH! The lid to the sugar dish exploded on contact with the floor, scattering shards of glass in every direction. Anger flashed briefly in my eyes but was quickly replaced by embarrassment. What was now debris had once been part of a beautiful set of China handed...
Injured!
Although this post deals with a nasty injury, for the sake of squeamish readers, I promise to avoid graphic details. My last post, "The Playful Pursuit of Passions" detailed my recent fascination with woodworking, but anyone who knows me well is aware that this isn't...
The Playful Pursuit of Passions
After posting a blog entry on January 17 of last year, Making Waves went suddenly and unexpectedly silent. It was a very strange feeling since a hundred blog entries had poured out over the previous 2 1/2 years. Never knowing what the next subject might be, I had...
Building a Better Boat
2021 is already fading into the mist of remembrance, conjuring the same mixed emotions as the years that preceded it. As the highlight reel flickers in my mind, it resurrects memories of the events of the past 365 days. There are moments that I wished would last...
The Christmas Wish That Crossed Generations
This past year I spent a lot of time getting to know my grandfather, James William McAfee. The first several months of the year were spent studying letters he wrote, details of his military missions, and particulars of his short life. After publishing both volumes of...
Reset part 2: The View from Camp COVID
Last week, Kim was fortunate enough to be included in the early rollout of COVID vaccinations. She got the first of two injections on a Friday and although her arm was a bit sore the next day, she had no real side effects. In theory, that got her immunity up to 50%....
Reset part 1: The Flood
I want a Reset for 2021 in a big way. My fantasies of finding a happy path through the new year have already taken a beating. Before the first week of 2021 came to an end, we were faced with a single-day record of 291,000 COVID cases, a more contagious strain of the...
Goals for the New Year – 2013
At our house, we don't set New Year's Resolutions. Does anyone enjoy making lists of chores you didn't want to do last year but begrudgingly acknowledge that you ought to do in the next one? Not this guy. I don't want a list on the fridge that tells me to eat right or...
Goodbye, 2020
Every year, I try to pause and reflect on the year we are leaving behind. The goal is to say goodbye to the ones who left us, let go of the burdens that should not move forward, and reflect on the events that should reshape us. 2020 was filled with disasters on an...