Homeward Bound

Today another one of my friends went to rest in Wood Colony Cemetery. Most of you never knew him, but John Wolf was an inspiration whenever you did get to know him. From his faithful selfless devotion to "Ginny" and the countless patient hours of card games he played with her through her Alzheimer journey to his quiet, unassuming attitude about life, his joy at the joy of others, and his repeated embarrassment that we would actually stop to talk to him when we had others around, I hope to be more like him.

Another "Well done!" rolls down from the courts of Heaven, calling another son to glory, and the little truck and hard hat will be seen no more on the country roads of Stanislaus County. And so we wait, we weep a little, and we rejoice in return at his newfound joy.

Tradition!

“Tradition! Tradition!"
Never did this script ring with with such meaning and poignancy as it did one hot summer evening in 2009 when Amy and I went to the Sonora playhouse for an evening, recently bereft of church membership and with no clue what traditions might come along on our journey and what would be left behind. It was my first experience with Fiddler On The Roof, and I spent the evening shaking my head at the parallels to our own little world. Nearly a decade later, I have come to realize Tevya will raise his head no matter where you go...

“Because of our traditions, we’ve kept our balance for many, many years. Here in Anatevka we have traditions for everything: how to sleep, how to eat, how to work, how to wear clothes. For instance, we always keep our heads covered and always wear a little prayer shawl. This shows our constant devotion to God. You may ask: How did this tradition get started? I’ll tell you: I don’t know. But it’s a tradition. And because of our traditions, every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do.” 
-Tevya

So... How do YOU know what God expects you to do?