Spirit Matters
Planning To Live
Planning to Live Inspiration from senior still moving at full speed By Norris Burkes December 2019 If you walk with me down the egg-white hallway of St. Joseph Hospital in Stockton, I could take you into the room where I met the man who inspired my retirement. It...
Dignity in Death
Last year, I came out of early retirement—perhaps better characterized as “premature retirement”—to accept part-time work as a hospice chaplain.
In my new role, I often hear three common reactions when I tell friends I work for hospice.
The reaction that always surprises me is, “Where is your hospital?”
Come Fly With Me
I know you’re busy, so in this month’s column I ask for only a few minutes for you to consider two questions.
First question: Feel like taking a trip with me?
If so, I’m inviting you to join my wife and me March 8–15, 2020, as we return to Honduras.
“Why would I use my vacation dollars to go to a third-world country?” you ask.
Navigating Your Faith
Navigating Your Faith Look for ways to find the answers together By Norris Burkes September 2019 As a teenager, I often told my high school ROTC instructors that I aspired for a dual Air Force career—first as a flight navigator and second as a chaplain. “Strange...
To Toot or Not to Toot
Several times during my years in the Air National Guard, folks jokingly asked me how I became an officer without knowing how to play golf. Their questions finally challenged me to rectify my shortcoming with some lessons.
With only a few years before retirement, I was on my annual training in San Luis Obispo when I found an opportunity to play my first game with fellow chaplains.
What is a Chaplain?
What is a Chaplain? Let’s set the record straight By Norris Burkes July 2019 In the 18 years I’ve been writing this column, many readers have shared their impression of what a chaplain is. And more than a few have certainly told me what a chaplain is not. A few...
