December 24, 2010
We all probably have certain traditions that we honor over the Christmas holiday, whether it be driving around neighborhoods to see the decorated houses or watching certain TV shows. I know I try to catch the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon every year, and this year was no exception. Interestingly, no matter how many times I see the show, there is always something new that grabs my attention. This year, for some reason, I focused on Lucy telling Charlie Brown that he needed to “get the hugest pink aluminum tree you can find” for their Christmas play….
December 17, 2010
Have you ever noticed how easy it is for life to get “out of balance”?
Recently my daughter and a friend of hers began taking a gymnastics class at a local gym. Now, I don’t think either of the girls is destined for the Olympics but they look adorable in their sparkly suits and they think it’s great fun. As I watched them through the window one night, I reflected on how much my spiritual life is like an exercise conducted on the balance beam. It takes constant attention and alignment (and re-alignment) to stay focused and make sure…
December 10, 2010
On November 6th, 2008, I stood shoulder to shoulder, elbow to elbow, and shoe to shoe with 40,000 complete strangers as I readied myself to run the New York City Marathon. Training had been completed, my ipod was loaded with motivational tunes, power bars were tucked in my pocket, and I even had my cell phone in my pack. (Hey, you never know when you might need to make a phone call!) My stomach was in knots and I was freezing – the temperature that morning was a chilly twenty-eight degrees with a stiff north wind…
December 3, 2010
One of the many Black Friday and Cyberspace Monday enticements that caught my eye was this offer from the AAA auto club, “Is everyone you love covered?” While AAA offers many travel and leisure services, they are probably most known for their offer of protection on the highways and byways. Since a friend of mine has given me the gift of AAA coverage, I answered the ad’s question by thinking of everyone I love and wondering if they were covered. And as I thought of their protection, my mind went to the dangers on the highways…
November 24, 2010
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18)
“For everything write thank you notes: for this is the will of your Mother concerning you.” (The Book of Amelia and Gloria)
Our very gracious mothers are devout believers in writing “thank you” notes and it is something both of them have instilled in us since we were very young. For that instruction, we are most grateful, because in many ways giving thanks is often overlooked even though it is the will of God concerning all of us.
In Luke…
November 19, 2010
Ready or not…here I come!
Do you remember the thrill these words would evoke in you as a child? Remember listening to the one chosen to be “it” count to the assigned number while you scurried away to hide yourself? I recall pressing myself flat against the wall behind the heavy curtains in the formal living room or if we were outside, scrambling around the back of my grandmothers house to a secret spot I claimed to be all my own in order to separate from the others. And when those words rang out, “Ready or not……
November 12, 2010
I have a friend who is the worlds’ best gift giver. No matter the occasion, she has the perfect offering. Not only will it be thoroughly researched, on time, and professionally wrapped, it will pass the “Two P” test. In other words, it will also be Pretty and Practical. Getting a gift from her makes every occasion more than special and I treasure everything she has ever given me because I love the intention behind the present. Because her gifts can pass the “Two P” test (Pretty and Practical) she truly does give the…
October 29, 2010
Options abound in life. Movie theaters, gas stations, church services…gone are the days where only one movie is playing in town, one type of gas is available at the pump, and one service is offered at church. Now we have several options available to us—we can choose one of twenty-four movies to see, one of three types of gas to buy, and one of several church services to attend on Sunday. On and on the examples could go and while options may be good, they can sometimes be overwhelming. Too many options may result in…
October 22, 2010
Regret – the one thing besides maybe chicken pox or any other communicable disease that no one wants. Just mention the word “regret” in any social setting and watch the faces around the room. Flickers of past regret will register in the eyes of some people; others will begin mentioning regrets or steps they are employing to avoid them. Inevitably the conversation will turn to how to live a life without regrets.
It’s interesting to listen to the litany of issues people often regret. Of course, they will say they are disappointed they didn’t spend…
October 14, 2010
“The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his mouth comes to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3
Places that hold valuables must be guarded. For example, banks, museums and certain historical locations are all closely monitored to keep treasures in their proper location. Sometimes information is the thing to be carefully concealed and to retrieve it you must have a code or a password. It might even take going through security more than once.
An ancient Arab story illustrates our Proverb today with a vivid visual. The narrative begins with, “The words…
