well, it has been a while since my last post, mostly because finding the time to do so is not anywhere near the top of my priorities list.

I'm still playing games, in case you were wondering. Although, to a small degree they seem to be balancing out a little.

I guess I could write about this week with Brennan. I was privileged to spend time and share meals with this fellow ragamuffin. We talked about movies, politics, monasticism and our lives. I could not help but love on him. I was so blessed by his presence this week. He really lives what he preaches. After his first sermon on Tuesday morning I sat down next to him and and said to him, "well done good sir." He responded with, "It's an amazing truth that we have been given." We. Even though he says the same words sermon after sermon, year after year, he is still in awe at the love of God. He takes into account what he preaches because he knows it is not just a word for people he is speaking to, but to himself as well and he lives it.

He blessed my life this week. While he is just a ragamuffin, he is somebody that has lived a lot of life and has the respect of thousands of people. I have to share a couple of experiences that really touched my heart.

We were eating dinner before Wednesday night's sermon at the Arey's hotel that he was staying at. He told so many stories of his childhood and what his mom and dad were like. Carlos and I were sucking up every word he had to say. After we finished our coffee we headed out to get to chapel on time, but Carlos wanted a photo of Brennan sitting by the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. In direction Carlos told him he could just look at me, about 45 degrees left of Carlos and so he did. I struck a silly pose ad gave a big smile and then Brennan smiled. He said, "Tom, you have a wonderful smile, it is truly contagious."

Remember that story he told Thursday morning about the fat ugly kid at the bus stop and how his father healed him of his self consciousness? That is what happened to me in that moment. You see, when I was about 9 I had a pretty bad bike accident. Over the handle bars and the asphalt took a chunk of flesh from my chin and half of my left front tooth. The dentists repaired it best they could, but half of my tooth was fake and half was real and over the years the middle part became what looked like to me a huge brown crack in my front tooth. Until the summer before I came to VU I was able to get caps and now my two front teeth are white and porcelain. but for those ten years of that ugly brown crack on my tooth I never would smile for a photo with my teeth. It was always lips tightly shut. I even tried to perfect smiling by only showing my bottom teeth. That always looked ridiculous.

So when Brennan Manning told me that I have a wonderful smile and that it is truly contagious it was a healing experience. He doesn't know that, but I do and I do not want to ever forget that moment.

Second moment was parting at the airport. Carlos got a pass to take him to his gate, but I had to say my good byes at the front of the security line. He opened up his arms for embrace and my heart swelled when he said, "I love you good brother; thank you for being you." All I could reply with was, "ah Brennan, thank you for being you." Which was good and honest, but I really just wanted to collapse into his embrace even more heavily and cry. I don't know why. but, for someone like him that has traveled to every nook and cranny of this nation and changed literally hundreds of thousands of lives with his obedience to the Abba to say that to my face while locked onto my eyes... I can't describe it. honestly, I do not know what to write. I really felt loved.

And I know I'm loved deeply even maybe by you reader, it was a whole other thing to be loved by someone who is experiencing and understands the Fathers love as he does.

He is a wonderful man. After the Wednesday night service, the SPFM staff and Brenna went to Cold Stone. He loves ice cream. He like vanilla with peanut butter mixed inside and caramel on top, not mixed in. He made sure the Cold Stone kid knew that. As we were devouring out tasting lumps of goodness Brennan blurts out, "I really like hanging out with you guys." I am glad that we could make him feel welcomed and loved. It was an honor.