HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s one of those perfunctory greetings we exchange for a few weeks, often without really thinking. What’s it mean? If you recently lost your job, your house nears foreclosure, or a relationship just ended painfully, do I really expect your new year to begin “happily?”
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Pressure
“Real pressure is when you are asked to do something you are not prepared to do.” ~ Lou Holtz I thought about this quote when a reader asked, “What’s the one thing that kept you going when you wanted to quit?” I immediately felt a bit of pressure, because I wasn’t prepared to answer such […]
Continue readingMore TagA Light In The Darkness
I suspect we’re all feeling a bit overwhelmed by the overwhelming amount of negative news. It’s hard to maintain a positive attitude in the midst of so much despair. I don’t wish to ignore the very real problems we confront, but I also don’t want to dwell needlessly on doom and gloom. Here are some committments […]
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What do you say to someone who’s feeling hopeless and asks for your help? This isn’t a rhetorical question. We all encounter family members and friends who have lost hope. They struggle to cope with financial uncertainties, job loss, or the prospect of losing their home. They confront the reality of death or illness. They mourn broken relationships and shattered dreams. […]
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“I cried all the way through your book. It is an incredible love story.” That kind comment from a reader of Relentless Grace highlights an interesting aspect of writing: words may mean one thing to the writer and quite another to each member of the audience. I’m fascinated by the assortment of thoughts and emotions prompted by the same story. Some readers […]
Continue readingMore TagHumility
I’m learning that an important part of releasing a book is accepting feedback. It’s a great lesson in humility. Every sentence of the story obviously means a great deal to me. Those fifty thousand words were written, revised, edited, and revised again in an attempt to clearly communicate my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Now those […]
Continue readingMore TagRegret
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” ~ Winston Churchill Last night I spoke to a group of men at a drug/alcohol recovery center in Denver. Those guys know about adversity. I was struck by their overwhelming preoccupation with the past. In the process of acknowledging and owning their mistakes, they face a lot of regret […]
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Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. ~ Christopher Reeve I dislike the abrupt endings that characterize holidays. There’s all that time of preparation and anticipation, then the big day comes and goes and we flock back to the stores. Thankfulness suddenly turns to tragedy as bargain hunters trample the poor guy assigned to open the door. That’s […]
Continue readingMore TagRelentless
One reader emailed me with an interesting comment. She said she liked the book title but that the word “relentless” usually conveyed a negative connotation for her. Apparently she encountered the word mostly in less desirable contexts. I found her comment enlightening, especially since I’ve previously stated that “relentlessness” was a character trait I seek […]
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I guess it’s fashionable to write about thankfulness and gratitude this week. It’s too bad that we need a holiday to remind us of the incredible array of gifts we enjoy for which we need to be always thankful. I can’t possibly list the people for whom I’m thankful. But I’m especially mindful of the characters […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy Relentless Grace?
When I tell people I’ve published a book, their first reaction is something between skepticism and astonishment. Once the shock subsides, they usually want to know what the book is about. That ought to be a relatively easy question. After all, I DID write it. I usually mumble something about my injury, but that answer […]
Continue readingMore TagAbundance or Scarcity?
I received one of those forwarded emails this week. I usually try to at least skim through them before hitting DELETE, and occasionally I am rewarded with a gem.
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