Coming Up Next . . .

When I watch a talk show or news program, I appreciate a good transition.

That’s all the time we have for weather, but stay tuned: sports is up next!

We’d like to thank Gallagher for joining us here on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Coming up next: Shields and Yarnell!

(If you get that last reference, I guess you’re SEASONED like me.)

Recently, in my day job as a public speaking professor, I was explaining the importance of transitions, which ease the change from one major part of the speech to another. The discussion got me thinking about life transitions. After all, they have been a theme lately.

Earlier in the fall, my wife and I moved our sons away to college, causing us to transition to the “empty nester” life. We miss the boys terribly, but we CAN slip off to eat or shop without thinking about picking someone up from a practice.

My work schedule has changed, with an extra class at a different site added this semester. This change has forced me to adjust to an earlier time slot and to increase my daily caffeine intake.

As for my writing life, I have received several assignments recently for a type of writing that I never thought I would do. These assignments are a blessing, for sure, but they’ve been a challenge, forcing me out of my comfort zone. That’s a good thing, and it feels like God is opening doors and transitioning me into a new phase.

I think the main thing about life transitions is trust. When I hear that transition on the news, I trust that sports is really the next segment. When I watched Johnny Carson back in the day, I believed him when he promised me some groovy mimes after the commercial break.

And I trust that God knows what He’s doing and will see me through all of life’s changes, including new, different writing projects.