Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a recognition event for Chief Stephanie Good of the Orono Police Department.

Chief Good is also leaving her position at the end of the year, however she is moving on to a position of Chief Deputy with the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office. She will be second in command in the department working with Sheriff-elect Rich Stanek. The Hennepin County Sheriffs Office is a great organization that I have enjoyed working closely with over the years. I know Stephanie will be a great asset to the organization and I wish her well.

There were two other retiring chiefs present at the event, three if you count me. Chief Joy Rikala of the Minnetonka Police Department and Chief Bob Hearns of the Golden Valley Police Department. There is a lot of movement in law enforcement leadership in the area. Change is good, but I think it it very important to the the individuals going through these big changes, that they have a plan. Clearly Stephanie has a plan, I know Joy does too, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to Bob in detail since he announced so I don’t know his plans yet, but plans are important for the soul.

We spend a lot of time training and preparing people to enter the police and other public safety professions. We know it is critical to success and liability protection to do so. However, when it comes to leaving the profession we pretty much leave it up to the individual. I don’t think that is a good way to care for our people. That is why I am so excited about the “Retirement Academy” the Eden Prairie Police Department is hosting ia a couple of months. I have the opportunity to facilitate it, but there will be several “transition professionals” brought in to do the teaching. More on that later as it gets closer.

So here I say good luck and thanks to all who have served and and are moving on. I know each will continue to serve, just in new capacities, it is part of their spirit, it is in their soul.

One of my favorite books is The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau

.

Geared toward modern-day pilgrims looking for inspiration and a few spiritual tools for the road, this book combines stories, myths, parables and quotes from famous travelers of the past to help them focus on the purpose and intention at every stage of their journey.

“I am convinced that pilgrimage is still a bona fide spirit-renewing ritual. But I also believe in pilgrimage as a powerful metaphor for any journey with the purpose of finding something that matters deeply to the traveler. With a deepening of focus, keen preparation, attention to the path below our feet, and respect for the destination at hand, it is possible to transform, even the most ordinary journey into a sacred journey, a pilgrimage.” –Phil Cousineau, from THE ART OF PILGRIMAGE (Hardcover, Conari Press, 1999; Paperback, Conari Press 2001, Audio: Dove Audio

It is a book that I often pick up and randomly re-read different part of the book. One of my favorite sections is where he tells a story about “sitting on your luggage”. It is a ritual a family goes through when about to set off on a new adventure. They will take 30 minutes, after everything is packed, and just sit. Sit and reflect. Think about what is ahead, what is behind, do I have everything, am I forgetting anything, did I turn off the stove and lock the door (my additions).

Well, today on December 26, 2006 I start my 30 days of sitting on my luggage. I moved out of my office at the EPPD on Friday and into a temporary space. I’m going to take some time off but I need to finish up a few things before I retire 30 days from now. It will be a time of reflection, anticipation, tying up loose ends, saying good by, cleaning out files…….. and some time to just sit, reflect and make sure I’m not forgetting anything. And some time to finish up those thing I did forget.

My journey to the next phase of my life truly is a pilgrimage. I am seeking. This website will be a vehicle to share that journey and I hope you will join me and share the experience.

From all of us at Public Safety Ministries, Have a Very Merry Christmas and A Wonderful Holiday Season!!

Don’t forget to take some time on these busy days, to contemplate, to pray, to meditate or what ever it is you do that helps you calm and rest your soul. And don’t for get to say thank you to all of the warriors for peace out there. Thanks to the soldiers overseas and at home keeping us safe. And also to the public safety professionals that will spend the holidays at work, away from their families protecting and serving so that we can rest and enjoy the season.

Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association Board Meeting
December 21, 2006

Dear God,

We thank you today for this opportunity to gather in the spirit of law enforcement leadership. We ask for guidance as we carry out our leadership roles in this association.

Specifically today we ask for strength, peace, wisdom and humility. Provide us Strength to endure the many challenges we face in this profession, Peace to find the time and opportunity to rest in this hectic holiday season, Wisdom to discern honest truth as we make countless critical leadership decisions and Humility to appreciate and understand the true meaning of this holiday season.

Bless the food we receive today as nourishment for our bodies, the information presented as nourishment for our minds and the fellowship we share as nourishment for our souls.

Amen

I woke at 4 this morning. I’m tired but can’t sleep. I spent about an hour trying to get back to sleep, watched the news a bit, looked at a couple of old movies, read a bit, but nothing worked. So I gave up and now I write.

It’s not surprising that I can’t sleep. It is now 5:30 AM. It is the start of day 3 in the count down to the end of my police career with the City of Eden Prairie. It is Wednesday and Friday is my last day as Chief. So I’m guessing that might have something to do with it. 25 years of waking up and going to work at the same place. A lot of different jobs and assignments with the department over the years, but the single identity: Eden Prairie Cop, stayed constant. That ends on Friday.

The family and I watched the movie “White Christmas” about a week ago, a family tradition. A song from the movie keeps popping into my head this morning “What do you do with a general, when he stops being a general? ” How about chief, sergeant, lieutenant or captain? What do you do when you stop doing what you do? Well I think I have a plan and what you are reading is part of it. I’d like to help people prepare and go through what I am going through right now, life’s changes. And I strongly believe that a healthy soul, kept that way through spiritual fitness is critical if we are to survive the inevitable changes in life.

I’ll close this post with something that gave me some peace this morning. It helped me rest and re-focus on the day to come. It is a favorite prayer of mine that I go back to often to help find perspective. It says something new every time I read it, but is comfortable and comforting at the same time. It is from “Thoughts in Solitude” by Thomas Merton

The “Spiritually Speaking” commentary in the Eden Prairie News was written by Father Tim Power this week. Its title was “Revisiting classic stories at Christmas time”. He writes of the classic stories he enjoys to re-read this time of year. You click on the title for the link to the entire commentary, but I thought I’d copy the last story he told in its entirety. It is a great story to lift your spirits this time of year. Part of a healthy spiritual diet that contributes to quality spiritual fitness. Enjoy!

There is a story by Pearl S. Buck called “Christmas Day in the Morning.” I read it every year about this time to remind myself of the best gift I can give or receive. The story is about a young man’s first experience of giving a gift from the heart. Rob was 15 years old that Christmas, a strapping young man who was a great help on his family’s farm. Farm work started early in the morning, with Rob and his father out in the barn milking the cows every morning at 5 a.m. Rob liked working alongside his father, although he wasn’t too fond of getting up so early. One morning, he overheard his parents talking outside his bedroom. His father was hesitant to wake Rob for the morning’s chores. He wanted his son to get some sleep. He wished aloud that he could do all the milking himself, so as not to work Rob so much.

As Rob lay there listening to his parents’ conversation, he was struck with the realization that his father loved him. His parents had always expressed their love in simple, everyday ways, but they weren’t prone to verbalize their feelings. But this conversation was confirmation enough for Rob. His father loved him. Suddenly, Rob wanted more than anything to show his father that he loved him, too.

Christmas was only a few days away, so Rob had a little time to think. He couldn’t afford to buy his parents a fancy present. But he did have an idea of something that would make his father happy - Rob would go out early and milk the cows all by himself, before his father even woke up. So that Christmas morning, Rob woke before 4 a.m. He slipped out to the barn and milked all the cows, then made it back to bed before his father could suspect anything. Rob’s heart had been so full of love and joy that it hadn’t even felt like work to him.

Soon, his father came into his room and woke him for the morning milking. Rob acted sleepy so his father went on ahead to start without Rob. In a few minutes, Rob’s father returned. He was alternately laughing and crying, so touched by his son’s gift that he didn’t know what to say. And as he wrapped his arms around his son, Rob’s father promised that he would remember this gift every Christmas for as long as he lived. This was a gift of thoughtfulness that had not cost Rob a penny, but it was priceless to his father.

The Strib ran a story Saturday called “How Old Is Your Body?” It talks about a current trend where people can get a physical fitness assessment that determines the “age” of their body based on its condition rather that just the number of years it has existed. Wear and tear, illness, injury, diet and exercise all have an impact. Your “body age” can be greater or less that your actual age. The goal would be to have a body that is younger and healthier than your actual years.

So I ask you this - “How old is your soul?” Those of us in the public safety professions live and work in an environment that produces considerable wear and tear on the soul. We often compensate for emotional and spiritual traumatic experiences with the strength and endurance of youth. But just as we do physically, we can use up those youthful resources and wear out our souls prematurely. Often we don’t notice it until we sustain an injury and then the road to recovery is much greater.

So, “How old is your soul?” Take a look at yourself, the spiritual trauma you’ve experienced, the injuries you have sustained, the care and treatment you’ve received. Do a self assessment on your spiritual diet and exercise program. Is your soul and the spirit that occupies it younger or older than your age?

The Saturday edition of the Strib had an article titled “Choosing My Religion” in the Faith and Values section. It shared the stories of several people who had changed their religious practices. They had been brought up in a religion different from the one they now have “chosen” to practice. I was brought up an ELCA Lutheran and continue to worship at and attend an ELCA church today. However I did spend time over the years exploring different denominations as well as different cultural practices of spirituality. What I found was an appreciation for different faiths and religions, but that my spiritual comfort came from the religion I grew up with. The exploration I went through (and still continues I might add) was a confirmation of my personal faith as well as enhancement of that faith.

So here are a couple of questions to ponder:

- What, if any, is your religious/spiritual/faith identity?

- Where did your identity come from? Family, experience, friends, nature or nurture?

- Have you ever questioned that identity, explored others or if not, wondered why?

I’ve come up with a three phase process to developing your own personal spiritual fitness program: Awareness-Assessment-Application. The above questions are part of the Assessment process. Just like with a physical fitness program, spiritual fitness needs self assessment. We need to know who we are and why we are if we want to discover a program that is right for our specific personal needs.

Give these questions some thought, I’d love to hear thoughts on the subject.

The following is the invocation I offered at last Wednesday’s Hennepin County Chiefs of Police Association December meeting. It was our second annual “retired Chief’s Luncheon”. Chief Dohman of the Maple Grove Police Department started the idea last year and it received great reviews. Now that I am retiring I hope that the tradition continues for years to come.

Hennepin Chiefs Association Meeting Invocation 12/05/06

Dear God,

We thank you once again for this opportunity to gather in the spirit of Public Safety leadership. We ask that you bless the food we receive today as nourishment for our bodies, the information we receive as nourishment for our minds and the fellowship we share as nourishment for our souls.

Specifically we say thank you today for the retired members of our association. We ask for your blessings upon those that could be with us today and for those who could not be with us, but are enjoying their retirement at different locations around the world.

Again we thank you for this time together. Please guide us as we lead those who protect and serve our communities.

Amen

I thought that my final few weeks at the EPPD would be sitting back and winding down and relaxing. Not last week, it was anything but. You see we had an officer involved shooting. I can’t share any details since we are going though all of the necessary checks and balances, administrative reviews and incident investigations. But what I can say is that there were no significant injuries to our officers and that once again I couldn’t be prouder of the Eden Prairie Police Department and all of its members in how they handled this very serious situation. Enough said for now, it’s too soon to talk about the impacts of an event like this. But needless to say the fitness level of an organization and its members (physical, intellectual and emotional/spiritual ) has a huge impact on the outcome of these critical incidents.

Well, enough of why I didn’t post more this week. Here is where we are going next week. There were four articles in the Strib this week end that caught my eye, good platforms for spiritual fitness exercises. I’ll post some thoughts and ask a few questions throughout the week.

Saturday Faith and Values “Choosing My Religion“

Sunday Source “How old is your body?“

Sunday Twin Cities and Region “Coming home can be another struggle“

Sunday Business/Wall Street Journal “Advice I’ll Pass Along to My Daughter” (I couldn’t link to this one for some reason)

I’m constantly on the look out for stories, articles and titles that are relevant to “spiritual fitness” and its underlying foundation of “Body, Mind and Soul”. Today I hit pay dirt with the following title of an article in the StarTribune:

Faithfully minding body and soul

And the article’s subtitle:

Isanti County program combines exercise, faith and fellowship

and also the first sentence of the story:

Weekday fellowship is more than coffee and doughnuts at Cambridge Lutheran Church in Isanti County.

(sorry, I had to throw in the coffee and doughnut line. I can’t see the words without waiting for the follow-up cop joke)

The point being that we are all in tune with different words that we pay attention to. I’m not sure how common the “body, mind, soul” terminoligy was prior to my interest in it, but I know I see it a lot more now that I pay attention to it. That idea of “paying attention” is a big part of what I want this ministry to be. Recognizing that the health of our souls is dependent on the the kind of spirit that occupies it. And also the important balance it needs with the health of body and mind.

A “spiritual exercise for the next few days: Pay attention to the things you read and see and hear and take note when the words “body, mind, soul” pop up. And look for the words “spiritual fitness” and “spiritual defibrillation”. I’d be interested in hearing from you and your observations. If you are so inclined I’d love it if you’d contact me and let me know how you exercising went.