It’s been a while, and because of that fact, I appreciate the efforts of my birthday twin and childhood friend Kristy Cole Holliday (“Prone to Wander”), and my boss Tim Price (Tim Price’s “Photo of the Day, Etc.”), who each make it their goal to post one entry a day. They both stay at it well, so they prove it can be done. And I’d like to accomplish it- but I’d probably need internet at home. Which I can’t seem to figure out.

I’m not sure I have anything very monumental to say here today, except that I think a lot these days heavily about disconnecting. For whatever reason, there is a part of me now that feels perhaps it is time, and that it would be okay if I set down other stuff in my life besides work and family and friends.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s the fact that I am 46, leaning into 47, and I still live a lot of my life like a kid trying to please everyone. It’s been a life habit, trying to make others happy, trying to make God happy, thinking that by doing those things, I would also make myself happy. I think it is true to an extent- by serving others, we reap joy in our lives. But joy also comes from finding and living in a calling, and I don’t feel I am doing that.

If I had my way, I would just go to work, exercise to shed some pounds, and write a lot over the next year.

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I was grateful to spend this last Friday with my bro’s kids for an all-day fun day. We started with sugar at Krispy Kreme, then got books at Barnes and Noble, painted pottery at Art Attack, jumped on trampolines at Cool Springz, ate cheeseburgers at McDonald’s, saw Paddington the film at Cinema 8, and then ended the afternoon at Hinkle’s for putt putt. It was a wonderful time for me to spend some time with some really thoughtful, positive, caring, and enjoyable little people. Faith is growing into a young lady, Em is still pretty sensitive and sweet, and Jaedon is still such an inquisitive jokester. Just a special day together we all will remember.

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Feeling a bit under the weather, I was to glad to stay home from church this morning and enjoy two things-

1) finally finishing “Masters of the Air”, a history of the Eighth Air Force that I enjoyed reading for the last four months, and yet one of the more challenging books in recent years I’ve had to work to finish, and

2) finally watching the film “The Railway Man” starring Colin Firth, which is based on the life story of former WWII British officer Eric Lomax and his struggle to come to forgiveness (and freedom) after a horrendous stint as a Japanese POW.

I had desired to see this film when it first came out, but for some reason never did. Well done, nuanced, and emotionally engaging, The Railway Man is probably the most moving film I have enjoyed since 2012’s A Late Quartet.

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My personal goal remains to one day become a man of courage and honor.