It’s graduation season. Parties. Silly-looking hats. Transitions. Excited students, proud parents. And advice-what would graduation be without words of wisdom from those who’ve gone before? I’ve never been big on giving advice. Usually it’s a statement of “what I would do if I were in your shoes” when I’m not in your shoes. That sort […]
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Clanging Cymbals
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. [1 Corinthians 13:1] Picture a band comprised entirely of first graders. Now imagine that they’re all equipped with cymbals and gongs. All different shapes and sizes of cymbals, all sorts […]
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Happy Monday, and welcome to an interesting word-of-the-week … MINDFUL Are you mindful? I thought that was sort of an interesting question, even though I had to think a while about exactly what it meant. I guess the opposite would be mindless, which seems like a pretty accurate description of how I stumble through life. […]
Continue readingMore TagA Life Of “Yes”
Here’s this week’s contribution to the One-Word-At-A-Time Blog Carnival. I encourage you to click the link and check out some of the other carnival attractions. As the last fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), this week’s word is: SELF-CONTROL Is Jesus about “No” or “Yes”? I know this guy who used to have a really distorted picture of Christianity. […]
Continue readingMore TagHow Do You Help An Injured Porcupine?
How do you respond when your life gets interrupted by—well—life? This isn’t the article I planned for this morning. I’d already written something insightful and thought-provoking—a certain masterpiece (at least in my mind). All it required was a few finishing touches and it would have been here to greet even the earliest risers. And then—life […]
Continue readingMore TagHow To Escape The Roller Coaster
No matter where you are, you look around and, sure enough, there you are. Do you spend a lot of time and energy trying to be somewhere other than here-and-now? I’ve noticed lately that my inner life seems to be a roller coaster. Past experience tells me that the valleys will eventually outnumber the hills, […]
Continue readingMore TagHow To Change Another Person
Why is it the people who need the most help… won’t take it? Norman Maclean (A River Runs Through It) Who’s that person in your life who needs to change? Perhaps a boss bullies and controls or fosters chaos through indecisiveness. Maybe a coworker refuses to communicate or a friend follows a self-destructive path. Possibly […]
Continue readingMore TagDoes It Really Matter?
If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room. Anita Roddick Do you ever wonder if what you do matters? When you send words into cyberspace every day, it’s an important question. It’s easy to wonder if those words make any difference, if anyone […]
Continue readingMore TagAn Abundance Of Eyes
God has given you one face, and you make yourself another. Shakespeare Are you different? As a wheelchair user, I’m probably hypersensitive to differences. Even after twenty-two years of rolling around, I still feel uncomfortably conspicuous. My inability to stand up makes me stand out—or at least that’s how it seems to me.
Continue readingMore TagFive Things That Get In The Way
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music. Angela Monet What gets in the way? I’ve been working on a big project for the past two months. Only that’s not really accurate. I’ve been fussing with it, working around the edges, talking about it. But every […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Tyranny Of Nice
Today our newest contribution to the One-Word-At-A-Time Blog Carnival. I encourage you to click the link and check out some of the other carnival attractions. This week’s word is: KINDNESS Diplomacy is the art of saying “Nice doggie” until you can find a rock. Will Rogers Can you really “kill them with kindness”? I’ve never considered the notion […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat Are You After?
No thought or action is without its effects, present or ultimate, seen or unseen, felt or unfelt. Norman Cousins I think we’re all trying to get others to join our circle. We might be selling a product or service, promoting an idea, or just looking for connection. Some of us want to teach or learn […]
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