I have had some extraordinary people sit at my dining table this past year. I was privy to the stories of their lives, stories only they can tell. So much would be lost in the retelling. I feel privileged to have simply rested in their presence. I wish you could have been there: the President of Zimbabwe Tennis whose stories of ongoing civil war & survival left us feeling humbled and ashamed that we ever complained about anything; one of the world’s foremost Christian apologists whose behind-the-scenes meetings with the power centers and figures of the world left us astonished and full of hope that God is still at work; a Hollywood actor whose reading of The Grinch with a lisp had us in fits of tears drawn by laughter; a newly immigrated couple from Ireland whose travails as pioneers and revolutionaries gave us a new understanding of “sacrifice” and “faith;” and and seven young women from the University of Alabama, each accomplished in her own right, reminded us of what it was like to believe the world was ours for the taking.

The Magic Table delivered special nights, like never before. And, the ultimate revelation was that being extraordinary is not an exclusive tag for the rich, famous, or privileged; extraordinary people exist in even the most seemingly ordinary lives, like mine. These guests at my table were a long-lost friend from college, a chance-meeting at a bookstore, a niece, and a brother of a friend. Their stories captivated us, inspired us to do better, and ultimately left us changed - all because they were given the opportunity to sit and share with us and were willing to do so. We all have stories to tell, and we all have extraordinary people who touch our lives. Open up your table and invite them in. Expect them. Listen to them. Be surprised by them. Experience the magic of extraordinary people!

*First guest of the new year at The Magic Table: a former KGB spy. (shhh…!)