Author Archives: drsensintaffar

Malta, 2000. Diana and I were celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in Malta. We were staying at the very luxurious Hilton in the St. Julian’s district of Valletta, the capital city. We were enjoying the seaside “endless” pools overlooking the Mediterranean and having a delightful time. I left Diana relaxing in the pool and wentContinue reading “A Sauna Surprise”

He was the short, greasy little guy who lived upstairs from me when I was a junior at the University of Missouri–Rolla. It was 1984. He chain-smoked and chain-cussed. He smelled of body odor, stale tobacco, and cheap cologne. He had shoulder-length greasy black hair, a pockmarked, acne-scarred face, and a smudge across his upperContinue reading “Praise, Profanity and a Cigarette”

Spring 1998. We were winding our way up the mountain that loomed over Aviano, Italy. From the back seat came a small, inquisitive voice. Zoe, age six, had a question. “Dad, what’s this mountain called?” “They call it Monte Cavallo. And the town at the base of the mountain is Piancavallo. That’s where we’re going.”Continue reading “Zoe and Dad Mountain”

Spring, 1988.  I was a graduate counseling student at CBN University (now Regent University), a Christian graduate school in Virginia Beach, VA.  I was taking the entry-level counseling class and our capstone project was to find a person to counsel and video-tape the weekly 50-min counseling sessions. Most students found friends and family members toContinue reading “Bernard and Me”

January 1988 I’d just received word doctors would be ready to discharge Diana and Hannah later that afternoon. The birth of my first daughter, two days prior, was certainly something to celebrate! I put on a coat and tie and I went down to the local florist before going to the hospital. “I’d like twoContinue reading “Two Dozen Roses Plus One”

It was October 1985. It was sudden, but not entirely unexpected. Paul died leaving behind a grieving young wife and two little boys, ages 14 months and 6 years. He was my friend and I grieved too. 28 years old was too young to die. In the midst of the torrent of emotions that followedContinue reading “A Redemption Story”

I will curate potential social media posts choosing to post only the most meaningful and substantive things. I shall respect the time and attention of my social media friends. I will not say something to someone on social media that I would not say to them face-to-face. “Facebook sniping” from a position of relative anonymityContinue reading “My Social Media Top 10 List of Do’s and Don’t’s”

Spring 1981. University of Missouri-Rolla. My good friend, Karl Cornelius, and I were heading out to the parking lot just after dusk having spent a long day in classes. We were just kids—18, 19 years old. Arriving at the lot we noticed a very inebriated lady, fumbling with her keys and struggling to open theContinue reading “Righty-Loosey, Lefty-Tighty??”

I really love Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. There are certainly better chocolate chip cookies—warm, soft and chewy, made with artisan chocolate, browned butter and fancy, flaked salt. But I really love these cookies. What separates them from all the others certainly isn’t taste. It’s the gratitude I feel when I eat one. Here’s why.Continue reading “Cookies and Gratitude”