I recently read that it’s not what we don’t know that is the problem. The problem is what we think we do know—the embedded, unrecognized, unquestioned assumptions that color our perception of our lives and our world. These foundational beliefs were garnered throughout our childhoods. Until we realize that we are living one limited version of life, to the exclusion of an infinite number of equally available versions, we continue to blame the world for our troubles. 

One of my early wakeup calls came when I…

It seems like we live in threatening times. People today operate at a high level of “threat focus” due to the violence and uncertainty in our world. The coping skills we learn when we move through painful periods in our personal lives can also be applied to the risks we perceive nationally and globally. We can develop inner resiliency. 

Do you ever wonder “Why me?” Why did my heart get broken? Why did my loved one die? Why did I lose the job, or the baby, or the house? One of the traits of resilient people…

With all of the tumultuous events we are exposed to in our daily media, do you find it difficult to refrain from reacting to each seeming threat or injustice? When we remember that what we focus on grows, we learn to choose our responses, breathing through any initial feelings of shock or dismay, and allowing our higher understanding to guide us. 

Choosing to focus on peace is an intentional response to current events. We remember that what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a…

Just when you’re trying to catch your breath from the holidays, here comes a whole new year, with the expectations and pressures to make it your best year, your best life, your best you. Whew!! That’s a lot to heap on the post-Christmas stress. So, how can we nurture ourselves while laying a path through the new year that will support us in our growth, allow us time for light-hearted relaxation and guide us through challenges? 

There is a rhythm to growth and change—rarely do we seem to follow a straight…

What obstacles do you perceive to be blocking your success or happiness? A while back I read “Merle’s Door” by Ted Kerasote. It is a great book about a man and his dog. The “door” in the title refers to a dog door that Ted installed a couple of years after Merle came to live with him, and how, in giving Merle this independence, Ted released much control over the dog, changing the dynamics of their relationship. 

When I moved into my current duplex, I installed a dog door for my Papillon Yoda, the first one…

Are there times when your dreams seem to be in a holding pattern, and you keep running around the same circle looking for a way out? Times when you feel stuck, stalled or short-circuited? If so, sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey! 

In our high-pressure, goal-oriented society, we sometimes forget that life unfolds according to divine timing. There is a natural rhythm to our progress, with periods of high accomplishment followed with times of inactivity. Know that there is real work being done in these…

Does it ever seem like as soon as you get it figured out, they change the rules? One of my favorite bumper stickers is “Shift Happens.” Yes it does, it surely does. Have there been shifts in your personal life or in our country or our world, when nothing was ever again the same?. 

I think of my own life and two major shifts—the first was signing myself in for 28-day inpatient treatment for alcoholism in 1988. The second was leaving a successful career in software to attend ministerial school in 1998. What…

Are you a Scarlett? Are you plucky and passionate? Do you sometimes struggle needlessly? Or are you a Melanie? Are you serene and loving, always seeing the best in people? The truth is that we all have qualities of each of these iconic women of the old South. 

And for the men, are you an Ashley or a Rhett? Like Ashley, do you value tradition and family, or are you a bit of a maverick like Rhett Butler? The enduring qualities of these characters created an unforgettable story. 

I have recently become aware…

Do you ever find yourself deflecting your good? It could be as simple as not accepting a compliment, or just failing to recognize the goodness of life that surrounds us. 

There are a couple of Ukrainian women who live around the corner from me. They raise tomatoes, peppers, oranges and roses in their front yard and often sit on the porch in the evening, enjoying the delta breeze. One of them is my mother’s age and wears a kerchief around her head. The other is near my age and often has her pet cockatiel…

John 9:1-3 
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” 

This passage, seeming to indicate various causes of illness, has long baffled readers. Whereas we would like simple explanations for life’s challenges, we are presented with more complex causes—ones that display the wondrous…