A new year feels like a fresh start, a chance for a do-over. It feels like a time to refocus, a time to focus on the bigger picture of life after a holiday season that became micro-focused. Whether or not you make new year resolutions, most of us start the new year with at least some thought as to what we’d like to do, or perhaps do differently in the year ahead. Who wouldn’t want 2016 to be ... View Post
Making Room for What’s Most Important
I’ve been thinking about the massive amount of preparation that goes into the celebration of Christmas, much of it geared toward one day. It’s a preparation that starts weeks, even months in advance. No matter how much I try to simplify, the celebration of Christmas isn’t simple. I don’t say this to discount the planning, decorating, gift buying and celebrating. They are gifts — that we even ... View Post
Way #28 – The Good Life
How do you define “the good life”? What is it and how do you get it? I did an internet search on this very question. Here’s what I found: “When I was 19 I thought the good life was having a boyfriend, having a good time, partying, having nice clothes. Now that I am 51, it is much different. I would say: being free of pain, accepting yourself the way you are but always being ready to learn and ... View Post
Way #13 – One Thing Satan Doesn’t Want You to Know
I love reading biographies. Each one presents a personal window into a specific time period. They present history from a human point of view. Most often, they’re very inspiring. Reading of Abraham Lincoln’s persistence through numerous political defeats inspires us to persevere through trials. Our dreams don’t seem so unreachable when we read of the repeated rejections Walt ... View Post
Did He Know Jesus?
I heard the news of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s death upon waking from a very “hard” Sunday afternoon nap. The news hit me hard, and that surprised me. I recognized his face, but I couldn’t have told you his name. Not because he isn’t incredibly well-known, but because I’m uninformed where actors are concerned. Through the afternoon, I watched as the news coverage highlighted his impressive and ... View Post