JONATHAN C DOW

Finding Forky

Calling people "up" instead of "out"

Wanting to escape the relentless summer heat, my wife and I decided to set aside our normal Saturday chores to go to a local movie theater. Appreciating the clever story-telling of the previous three films, we decided to see Toy Story 4.

Though we enjoyed the movie, I left the theater with an unresolved heaviness that I had not . . .

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September 25, 2019

...And You Sighed

A Note of Gratitude to Medical Teams

It may have been when you swiped your badge.

You wondered whether you had the strength for what the day would hold...

 

Perhaps it was just before you knocked on the holding room door.

You paused to clear your head from the intensity of the case you just finished...

 

Or maybe it was before you pulled the . . .

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March 10, 2019

Plenty of Times

An Unexpected Gem of Encouragement

I am grateful for apps on your phone that allow you to not only read Scripture but also to hear it spoken out loud. Recently while listening to the Book of Job, a verse captured my attention. After walking with Job through traumatic loss, Eliphaz offers an extraordinary gift of affirmation. “You yourself have done this plenty of . . .

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January 01, 2019

Hold Your Peace

Recently, I have been listening to the Old Testament as I get ready for work in the mornings. As the drama of leadership transition unfolded through I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, and I and II Chronicles, one particular phrase grabbed my attention. "...But Saul held his peace" [I Samuel 10:27 BSB].

Saul was the initially reluctant . . .

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December 22, 2018

3rd Space - Ground Level

...an invitation to love deeply and fully

When I was interviewed for my current position, I was challenged by my future boss to look through certain lenses when viewing our guests. "You need to realize that no one chooses to come here." He continued his sobering exhortation affirming the need for compassion, clarity, and kindness in all of my interactions with families who are . . .

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October 27, 2018

Your Latest Bluff

...when spell-check becomes a heart-check

While spell-check in texting is helpful most times, there are moments when the assistance offered completely alters the intent of the message. Such is the case when in recent dialogue about my blog, I received this statement: "I took the time to read your latest bluff."

Silvrback blog imageIf you knew the person who sent the text, it would have been easy to . . .

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September 01, 2018

I Wanted You to Know

Watching, Seeing, and Encouraging

At a recent staff meeting, our departmental leadership advised us, "If you see something, say something." Spoken in the context of employee safety training, we were urged to attentively monitor our surroundings throughout our shift. And, should we observe something that triggers concern, we are to calmly communicate our uneasiness to the . . .

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June 09, 2018

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