Life is annoying. Not all the time, but there are moments when your plans and expectations are replaced with more pressing needs or unexpected distractions. These times can quickly steal your joy and affect other areas of your life. We can not isolate ourselves from annoyances, and in the bigger picture, they are often quite insignificant. At any moment, we know that there are people […]
Boring is often only a matter of perspective. I remember taking my grandson shopping. My wife and daughter were trying on clothes, so he and I made our way to a sporting goods store. There was a play area for children outside, so we spent some time there before we went in the store to shop. I should say, before I went in the store […]
I grew up watching the Charlie Brown holiday specials. It was a bit of a ritual in the family and a sign that Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were coming. The specials were full of memorable scenes and quotable lines. One of the Charlie Brown-isms that always stands out for me is the classic, “Good grief!” This was his phrase for every absurd action, every difficult […]
“I don’t want to study!” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard those words, and how many times I said them. There are times when all of us would rather not expend the metal effort to take in more information. Sometimes we feel too tired or maybe the material does not excite us, but whatever the reason, we don’t feel like learning any […]
Sometimes, what we want to avoid, can produce fruit we always wanted. The past week was a time of recovery for me following some unexpected dental surgery. What I hoped was a simple extraction came with a little more work and pain than I expected, but thankfully, I am in the final stages of the healing process. While my experiences with dental work were always […]
Easter Day is over, but the Easter season continues on. Not only are there another 49 days to this year’s season, but our lives are shaped by Easter. In the hymn, Easter People Raise Your Voices, the songwriter declares, “Every day to us is Easter with it’s resurrection song.” Indeed, we are an Easter People with the power of the resurrection singing through us all […]
“I am just not feelin’ it.” That was exactly how I felt yesterday, as I stared at a blank screen pondering what to write for my blog post. I’ve actually felt that way off-and-on for several days. I love to write, but I simply did not feel inspired. Then, last night, I got the word. While watching a rerun of an episode of Art Race, […]
I want to thank all of you for your patience. There are times when life moves at high speed and before you know it a week or more passes. I appreciate the grace afforded me when these times occur. A number of things occurred recently that consumed a significant amount of time and attention. I am sorry for the distractions and for the break in […]
“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face” – Victor Hugo Sometimes, it is hard to laugh; hard to find the joy in the moment or the day. Circumstances mixed with our emotional position can deeply affect our mood and our feelings, leaving us without the feeling of joy or a desire to laugh. This morning, I awoke with the gift of […]
Kindness is a wonderful thing. It is great to receive and equally wonderful to give. It can multiply the joyous times of life and bring the light of hope into the darkest seasons. My devotions recently led me to a wonderful reflection on kindness in the form of a story from the ancient Christians: Abba Moses was asked to travel to another community to pass […]