Ever had one of those days when everything clicks into place and you remember why you are on the planet?     It's rare, right?  I've encountered far more of the other days. You know  -- days of drudgery, of questioning the trajectory of your life. Days of hitting your head against a brick wall.   But last week, I had the ultimate good day at the office.   I oversee the counseling at Life Choices Clinic, a pregnancy help center, where people can explore their options when facing a pregnancy decision.   We provide accurate information and emotional support Continue Reading

Maybe you're like me. Maybe you'd like to have a bit of control over some of the universe, at least the part that affects you.   Fact is, there's a great deal we can't control. We have choices, yes. We can decide how to respond to the curve balls life throws us.   But we don't get to throw the ball.   This year started out weird. First my cat dies on New Years Eve. Two days later, my dear old friend Irene passes. And last week, my son Sam lands in the hospital just in time to have his rupturing appendix removed.   I'll get over losing Gizmo. I'll honor and Continue Reading

I walk past it and drive by it all the time, without a second thought. But on a recent walk, I slowed down enough to actually pay attention to the little vineyard in my neighborhood.   This is something we are becoming increasingly bad at, isn't it? Paying attention? We rush through our day, checking off items on our to-do list,  but fail to notice the beauty and the meaning in our surroundings.   I'm pretty bad about that, but on this particular day, I let my eyes drink in the natural beauty before me and pondered its significance.   I was amazed at how much insight Continue Reading

"He spent some time in jail," the young wife explained about her husband. "But I told him if he learned something from that, then jail was an education."   Another woman said regarding her son, "Oh, you know how they all have to do their jail time."   Really? People have to go to jail to gain a handle on life? Let's broaden this a bit. It's not just about jail.   It's the notion that we have to do stupid things and learn the hard way in order to figure out how to live.   There are problems with this kind of thinking:   First, we don't have enough Continue Reading