With Valentine's Day just around the corner, what do you think of when you hear the word "love?" Is it romance and knights on white horses and living happily ever after? Or, as the teapot in "Beauty and the Beast" put it, "Flowers and chocolates and promises you don't intend to keep?" There's nothing wrong with red roses and passionate feelings, but our culture has lost sight of the bigger picture when it comes to love. To regain some perspective, it's wise for us to look to older couples who have walked the walk for a few decades. Last weekend, Continue Reading
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How Your Lack of Control Leads to Wisdom
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
How a Hard Conversation Can Make You a Better Person
Ever find yourself telling a dramatic story about something that happened to you? The kind where you embellish details to gain the listener's sympathy? Probably I'm the only one who does that. Anyway, one time, I was telling one of my birth war stories, describing how emotionally difficult it was to have a C-section. (Come on, if you've had a baby, you have your own war stories, am I right?) Here's what happened: I am laying there, getting prepped for surgery, numb from the waist down, helpless and alone among strangers -- my husband is not allowed in Continue Reading
Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore the Hard Words of Jesus
It's almost Christmas, the season where we focus on Jesus as a helpless babe lying in a manger, gentle, meek and mild. But Jesus isn't a magic baby. He's our living Lord. And truth be told, he isn't so very meek and mild. I've been reading Luke this month, a chapter a day. I want to remind myself again of who Jesus really is. I want to listen to his words, life-giving and soul-shredding all at once. It's one thing to live by the Golden Rule. How about some of Jesus' more difficult words? Here are some in Luke's gospel: Jesus said we should Continue Reading