Author

Belize, PathLight,

An Exchange of Hope

A few years ago the PathLight staff were reviewing applications for the high school sponsorship program. One of the applicants, Jeymi, did not fit into the profile you might expect. She was older (19), married, and had a 3-year old son. Jeymi had dropped out of school for a variety of reasons, but now she wanted to go back and hoped we could help.

It was an odd situation. Most of the applicants are 13-14 years old or so. They’ve just completed 8th Grade and are looking to move on to high school. We hope that a sponsorship will keep …

Belize, PathLight, Wine Reviews,

Uncork and Support!

If you know me, then you know something about my appreciation of wine. I love visiting new wineries, meeting the farmers and winemakers, and popping open a cork to discover what has been created. D’Aun and I even moved to a wine region because we enjoy the ambiance so much.

If you know me, then you know something about PathLight International. In 2007 my friends Mark and Adrienne Parcher joined D’Aun and me to help at-risk students get through school. That’s led to a whole host of programs that focus on spiritual, academic and social development of youth.…

Belize, PathLight,

Welcome Andy & Lisa!

One of the great resources that PathLight has is a beautiful conference center set in the Belizean rainforest at Jaguar Creek. Built under the canopy of the jungle, along a gorgeous creek, and just a few miles from the capital of the country, the PathLight conference center is an incredible place.

Today it is where a lot of the PathLight activities are based. The students gather at the beginning of the school year to get supplies. A few times a year the students visit to attend special events, such as when Brenda Salter-McNeil led her Racial Pride workshop. The Teacher …

Family, Random Thoughts, Wine Reviews,

Vineyard Harvest

It’s almost harvest time! Our vineyard manager says “late next week” should be perfect. This is our first harvest since moving to our new home, and we look forward to seeing the process begin. The Chardonnay is looking good this year, and the brix level is 22-23 depending on where and when you test it. So not only are the grapes tasting wonderful, there appears to be an above average yield.

Below are a few pictures you might enjoy.…

Book Reviews,

Twenty Five Books That Influenced My Life – #15

Two years ago I began reading the daily devotionals of Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings From the Northumbria Community. Each day, usually in the mornings, I would turn to the daily entry and read the three suggested Scripture references and then the daily meditation. Of course there have been times I fell behind — sometimes by as much as ten days — but my consistency has been fairly good. The book has two years worth of these daily devotionals, and I’ve enjoyed them so much that I’m going to start back at the beginning again.

At the same …

Book Reviews,

The Righteous Mind

It seems timely to post a review of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion just as the Republican National Convention is opening. We hear a lot about how divided the nation is today, and this book offers a unique perspective on why that is. I encourage everyone, no matter your political leaning, to read it.

Jonathan Haidt is a moral psychologist who has studied how our moral decisions are formed. The book has a strong academic bent, which means it is meticulously researched and laid out for his fellow professors. That can be a …

Book Reviews,

Twenty Five Books That Influenced My Life – #16

One of my toughest challenges has always been managing people. I’m an innovator and entrepreneur who loves to tackle new challenges, but management has always bored me. Besides, people can be unlovable at times, and they always seem to have a pesky opinion.

Okay, so I’m not really that one dimensional. Or that cynical. Or that unkind.  But it is true that management of people has never been a love of mine. Curiously, I’ve always been put in positions of management. So I have had to learn and grow — often haphazardly with lots of mistakes along the way.

It …

Random Thoughts,

Let’s Throw A Party

Loved this devotional from the August 17th entry of Celtic Daily Prayer:

Matthew had met Jesus and wanted all his friends to meet the Master too. What could he do? He could do the one thing he really knew how to do well — he could throw a party. People always enjoyed his parties. So he threw a big party and invited everybody — Jesus could do the rest.

Why can we not just do the same —  lay aside time-consuming religious activities, and spend time with people we like, instead?