One of the things I love about living in Oklahoma is that we, for the most part, get to experience four distinct seasons.  I will admit that Winter has been sort of "light" for the past couple of years; still you can tell that it's not Summer, Fall, or Spring.  With each new season, activities change; so do the scenes of nature that surround us.  It is a reminder that life is ever changing and that each season of life is a opportunity to know God, our self, and others in new and deeper ways...

October is Clergy Appreciation month and I write this post simply to encourage everyone to share a word of appreciation with their pastor, priest, bishop, rabbi, or spiritual guide.  Now I make this request with reluctance because I am a pastor who is presently in my 44th year of pastoral ministry and I don't want to give the impression that I am simply seeking "pats on the back" for my years of service.  To the contrary, I am very blessed in that I receive  wonderful (and ongoing) words of appreciation from the members of the congregation I serve.  However, I recently had an "eye opening' conversation with a number of clergy that prompted me to encourage others not to let Clergy Appreciation Month go uncelebrated....