Welcome to Mark's Musings

For a long time now, I have wanted to have a blog. In recent years, I’ve read some very creative ones, written by friends who have an obvious talent for putting their thoughts into words. As a pastor, I’d like to think this may be one of my gifts in the sermons that I preach and classes that I teach. But, writing a blog, without any particular focus, that’s a whole new mountain to climb. It’s kind of like the Jerry Seinfeld show. When asked, “What is it about?” the answer was, “Nothing.” Seinfeld was about nothing and yet, we all loved it.

Actually, for a short time a few years ago, I had a blog. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I had the good fortune to spend almost 5-months serving with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. For a time, I blogged my experiences in the days following that horrific event. But, unlike Seinfeld, that was about nothing, that blog was about something. It was about the terrible destruction of land and property, about dashed hopes and shattered dreams. But it was also about the unquenchable spirit of the people who, having lost everything, never gave up. It was about the graciousness and hospitality of the people who called Mississippi home. It was about volunteers coming from around the country to try and make a difference in the broken landscape, awash in the Mississippi mud along the Gulf Coast of, appropriately, “the hospitality state.” To be honest, it was pretty easy to blog about that event. I just took pictures, listened to the stories of the brave survivors and wrote it down.

I hope these musings may be of interest to some, even though for the most part, they may be about very little. This may just be an exercise whereby I develop new writing skills and put into words some life experiences, combined with thoughts on events, books, music, recipes, restaurants and hotels ideas that can be shared with others. For the most part, the backdrop will the life in the Pacific Northwest; a place I love and a place we call home. We’ll see. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Grace and peace.