Russellings of the Spirit

life

  • Testing… Testing…

    Fall is many things. Fall is cooler weather. Fall is turning leaves.  Fall is back-to-school, pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, football, turning leaves, wardrobe revision, Halloween, the end of mowing, and the roll-out of next year’s new auto models.  But most of… Continue reading

  • My Own NGH List

    Last night the newly-crowned, 15-year-old champion of the show, American Ninja Warrior gazed earnestly into the camera and assured me, “Hey! If you can dream it and work hard, you can do ANYTHING!” “REALLY?” I replied, reaching to my left for another handful… Continue reading

  • A Question of Purpose

    Say hello to Rosie and Patrick. I am quite jealous of them. And no, not just because their days consist entirely of eating, sleeping, walking, and pooping… although that does seem like a pretty sweet gig. No, I am jealous… Continue reading

  • Should we be nice?

    Today, while taking the dogs for a walk in the park, I saw a hand-painted sign leaning against a fence. It was big… probably four feet high and six feet wide. Every letter on the sign was painted a different… Continue reading

  • “I Surrender!”

    Like many men of my age, I was quite the little warmonger as a child. My friends and I loved to do nothing more after school than get together in the big field behind Jeff and David’s houses and play… Continue reading

  • Happy birthday, Andy

    Yesterday was Andy’s birthday. His first 39 birthdays were celebrated here on earth. The last three have been celebrated in Andy’s new, celestial home.  Having the good fortune to be born exactly halfway between them, Andy was a childhood friend… Continue reading

  • Daring to Follow

    I just tried an experiment on Facebook to see what might happen. I didn’t originally intend to make this experiment the topic of a blog post, but the results were so interesting I just had to share them with y’all.… Continue reading

  • This Side of the Desk

    I just finished reading the book When Breath Becomes Air. I am still drying my eyes. It is the story of a brilliant, gifted neurosurgeon named Paul Kalanithi. Kalanithi seems to be on his way to an illustrious career as… Continue reading

  • Frozen People

    I knew it was coming, just as surely as the next episode of The Lone Ranger on Saturday morning TV. When I was a wee lad and we made the 415-mile trek to see my dad’s parents in St. Louis,… Continue reading

  • CHANGE

    What moves the world? What kind of force does it take To cause even the tiniest shudder? And alter – even microscopically – the unflinching orbit Of lives? Of fates? Of destinies? Of kingdoms? Of stars? Is it great beauty?… Continue reading