Clara and John Schmidt in 1952 What follows is a true story about extraordinary selfless service to lepers in Paraguay, South America. I believe it illustrate this lovely reflection on generosity from the Metta Center: “True generosity is often described as the act of recognizing…
Louis and I Before Social Distancing This week’s blogs have been about discovering our truest selves. That’s damn hard work for any of us. But it seems to me that it’s especially challenging for youngsters trying to figure it…
In this week’s blogs, I described the extraordinary lives of John R. Lewis, and my father John R. Schmidt. I offered my thoughts about what I must do for my life to become more extraordinary. As is often the case in my Friday “Brief-Blogs,”…
John R. Lewis 1940–2020 John Lewis was a politician and civil-rights leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death on July 17, 2020 from pancreatic cancer. Lewis was one of the “Big Six” leaders who organized the 1963…
In my last blog post, I shared my belief in the importance of vulnerably and honestly acknowledging the wrongs of the past in order to move toward healing. I call it the “awakening” step, a prerequisite for the healing process. A number of my…
Signage along the Camino de Santiago …but my path may help you find the one that’s right for you. I grew up in a good Mennonite home, where I was taught that the only true paths to healing emotional wounds lie…