From time to time, I have jotted down thoughts and observations that are short. Some turn into longer reflections or stories. I will post them in the hope they prove to be of use.

For lack of a more poetic term, I will just label them as stones from the river (also the title of a fantastic novel) and mark the appropriate period when I wrote them. Stones may be small but they can fell giants.

This one is from the NYPD years.

1. You can tell a person’s character from how they handle several scenarios – adversity, handling a weaker person, the prospect of losing something valuable, and last, not least, maybe most telling – power.

2. Internal enemy often more difficult to detect and destructive than external.

3. The safest place to be is still in the center of God’s will

4. If you don’t properly wrestle with God, your demons, and yourself, your children will have to take on that responsibility in addition to their own burden.

5. I had a conversation with a wise, experienced friend. I told him that the two questions that I primarily reflect on are: Who am I? Who is God And maybe it’s just one question.