Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm. Do you have any toxic habits? No, I’m not thinking of Oreos or ice cream-despite my doctor’s warnings, those are clearly proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. I’m thinking more about thoughts, beliefs, or habits of thinking that […]
Continue readingAuthor: Rich
Leader
Happy Monday, and welcome to word-of-the-week day at Bouncing Back. Today’s word is: LEADER You can buy stacks of books on leadership. I’d like to offer one simple thought: You don’t lead from behind. Bosses and managers often confuse leadership with coercion and manipulation. But those are push models. They don’t work long-term. Real leaders […]
Continue readingNurture Your Relationships
Since it’s the weekend of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share an interesting article about some proactive ways to nurture relationships. It’s called 7 Simple Steps to Appreciate Others. I was especially struck by the notion of “practicing love.” I need to work at that. A small side note: I’m honored to be the guest writer (Friday, 2/12/10) on […]
Continue readingAffairs Of The Heart
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance […]
Continue readingA Circle Of Great Love
We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love. Mother Teresa Are you grateful? One of the amazing benefits of this work is meeting and connecting with truly remarkable people. Recently I’ve encountered some especially inspirational folks who’ve blessed and enriched my circle. I want to tell you about […]
Continue readingBusted!
Today marks another new adventure for Bouncing Back. We’re participating in the One-Word-At-A-Time Blog Carnival. The idea is for a number of blogs to address the same word through writing, poetry, photography, or any other medium. I encourage you to click the link and check out some of the other carnival contributions. This week’s word […]
Continue readingPlay
Welcome to another Monday, which also means it’s word-of-the-week day at Bouncing Back. This week’s word: PLAY I don’t play enough. Too busy, too many important, serious, adult-type tasks waiting for my attention. Who has time for play? That’s one of many things I like about having a dog. If I get too attached to […]
Continue readingCheering Up
Happy Saturday! I have a fun little video to share, guaranteed (money back if not satisfied!) to provoke a smile. First, a bit of news Relentless Grace is now available as an audio book. My friend Jim Thurston graciously offered his golden voice to record the entire book. If you’re interested, click here for additional details. I’m […]
Continue readingWhat About The Third Line?
In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love. Augustine Yeah, but what are the “essentials”? Yesterday I asked the question Who’s “They”? in the context of our propensity to draw lines and categorize ourselves in terms of we and they. Then I ran across this familiar Augustine quote. It made me wonder why, […]
Continue readingWho’s “They”?
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. Gandhi Do you ever look at something really familiar and see something you’ve never seen before? I admire Gandhi; this is one of my favorite quotes. I get his point, but a closer look causes me to wonder: who’s “they”?
Continue readingWhatever It Takes?
Does your cause justify “whatever it takes”? This is Black History Month, so my question’s motivated by thoughts of America’s struggle with civil rights for African-Americans. But it applies equally to questions of national sovereignty, disability issues, or gathering support for relief to earthquake victims in Haiti. Is any cause so right, so just, so […]
Continue readingPeace
It’s Monday, which means word-of-the-week time here at Bouncing Back. Today’s word is: Peace We usually think of peace as the absence of war or conflict. But I’m thinking of something a bit more proactive. Jesus said: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the […]
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