I went back to work on Monday after 2 rough health weeks. I didn’t feel strong. I was anxious that I’d not get through the day. I was afraid to discover what my ‘new normal’ might be after this bout of illness.

Well it’s been quite a couple of weeks. Most of you know I spent the bulk of last week in the hospital due to a virus that literally knocked me off my feet. That was a brutal few days.

Well it’s been quite the few days. To say the least. I’m in the hospital. I’ve been here since early Sunday morning.

Let’s imagine a 13 year old girl growing up in a small town or city somewhere in Canada. Our statistics say that one in four girls are abused in their own home by the age of 14.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Holy God, On this day we remember the gathering of your followers in the upper room. You once again humbled yourself.

Holy God, On this day we remember the betrayal of your good friend Judas, We recognize how much that must have hurt you.

Holy God, As we get closer and closer to Good Friday, It’s tempting to look the other way, and not pay attention to your suffering, not stay on the road with you to the cross.

Holy God, We do not only want to walk with you in the good times, the times when the masses bow before you and yell “Holy, Holy, Holy’

Holy God, You are the King of Kings Yet demonstrated your humility by riding in to Jerusalem on a donkey

I’ve been in pain. Excruciating, agonizing, unbearable, severe, all encompassing, pain. It came on unexpectedly. I was sitting in my favorite space in the house, my place of comfort, just minding my own business and watching TV when all of a sudden my right shoulder started to hurt.

In my last (Christian Week) column I talked a lot about the differences between ‘charity’ and ‘justice.’ I then outlined many of the issues without spending a whole lot of time on solutions. So where do we start? I'm glad you asked.

In Mark 2, there’s a story of a disabled man whose friends carry him to the house where Jesus is staying, believing Jesus can heal him. But when they get there, the house is so crowded they can’t even get in the door.

I’ve been having dreams. Beautiful, scrumptious, delicious, erotic dreams. Dreams I don’t want to wake up from.

Writing in blog format, where people have access to my stuff, is not only good therapy for me but also helps me flesh out my own thoughts on things as I go. Sometimes I have an idea kind of bouncing around in my head, and then when I go to write about it that idea becomes a bit more concrete for me. So basically, if you choose to read my writing on this blog, you’re essentially getting a glimpse into the formation of my thoughts. You’re getting a look at the inside of my head.

This painting by Jack Baumgartner portrays Jacob Wrestling the Angel from the book of Genesis. It’s a central metaphor for this blog – wrestling with life, health, urban issues, and even with God.

It’s Shrove Tuesday, aka Pancake Day, aka Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday. It’s ironic to focus on ‘self-control’ on a day when we eat as many pancakes as we can possibly consume. What’s that about? Well first off, let me talk about Shrove Tuesday. This is the day before Lent begins; a day when we choose which things we will fast from or add to our lives during Lent.