As I went to sleep last night, I resolved to write a post this morning in celebration of Nancy, my loving wife and friend, and our marriage. Yet, as I sit to write this morning, I realize that my celebration can bring haunting regrets to the minds of others. And so, while I count my [...]
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Many people consider me to be on top of technology . . . except for that select circle of friends and advisors who know better. While it’s true that I’ll take a small amount of time to look into those problems that arise in the midst of my techno-life, I’m usually rescued by those who [...]
Thursday, December 30, 2010
My son, Justin, gave me a book a couple of years ago. Reverence, by Paul Woodruff, has been forming my life in some incredible ways. Professor Woodruff’s basic thought is that reverence is one of humanity’s virtues. And although he acknowledges that reverence can be focused through one’s view of God, he insists that all [...]
Friday, December 3, 2010
While I don’t always use these exact words, the thought pattern is overly familiar to me. Here’s what goes on in my head: Hmmm. I have just observed you do something that seems to me, without any real thought or discernment, to be something I may not like. In fact, I may not like it [...]
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Have you ever had one of those conversations? You know what I’m talking about. Your co-worker sidles up to you and — BAM!!! — out of nowhere comes a little comment that just sits crookedly on top of everything else. And then the engine roars and the fury train screams by . . . While [...]
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Just over five months ago, I fought to open my eyes and focus on the face of a young woman who was doing her best to explain what my immediate plans were for the afternoon. Over the course of the next hour, I slowly came to the realization that I had been in an automobile [...]
Thursday, June 17, 2010
I was fascinated by Bill Bryson’s book, “A Short History of Nearly Everything.” Bridging topics from alchemistry to volcanoes, Bryson spun an entertaining story of scientific discovery, natural oddities, and the often humorous ways that men and women have stumbled through the ages. What I was most taken by was the ever-more-apparent thought that the [...]
Thursday, May 6, 2010
I’ve always wanted to write authoritatively about that phrase, “cost-benefit analysis.” There are other phrases, too, of course, like gifted banjo player, best-selling author, sought-after inspirational speaker, and retired sky-diver. All have a common element — I haven’t really invested much time or energy into any of them. I’ve picked a little at the banjo. [...]
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
“Wouldn’t it feel good to be able to be close to your brother again? To leave all of the baggage of the past? To celebrate the great memories? To plan important futures?” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and instinctively picked up her car keys, signaling her imminent departure. I let my questions hover. Finally, [...]
Monday, November 30, 2009
I’ve been thinking about peace a lot lately. Personal peace. Relational peace. Political peace. World peace. So it wouldn’t be surprising that I stopped what I was doing to watch a short news clip this morning that featured an “anti-war mom” out with a megaphone in front of a military installation. I had the sound [...]
Hope seen . . . slowly softens the crust of worry. Hope celebrated . . . melts worry away. Melted worry is the compost that feeds faith and destiny.
An abundant life is not one free from worry, but one filled with hope.
Have you ever been in a really big hurry?
Have you ever been in a really big hurry . . . and everything seems to go wrong?
You drop your keys just as you get to the door. You leave your phone on the nightstand. You hit “reply to all” on the email that should have gone to one discreet individual. You can’t seem to hit the trash can with that one wad of paper. You find yourself face-to-face with the one person you don’t “really have time to deal with.”
Frustration builds inside. Anger, dismay, and depression grow like grass in a flower bed. What can you do? What is the most effective action step for the moment.
Slow down.
That’s it. Slow down. Take a breath. Whisper a prayer. Hum a song.
Slowing down allows tension to melt away. Slowing down allows your emotions to moderate. Slowing down allows you to gain control . . . by easing your grip.
So, slow down . . .
“Constantly Pleasant.”
That’s how she was described. Not a person attending the memorial service would have disagreed.
As I sat and listened to the accomplishments of this remarkable person, I was somewhat awestruck by the thought that I had been blessed to know an individual who touched so many and did so much . . . while being constantly pleasant.
What if I could become constantly pleasant? What would that change? How would I change?
Thanks, Colleen. For being constantly pleasant. It’s just one of many ways that God shone through you.
If you’ll just let go, your hands will be free to . . .
If you’ll let go . . . empty your hands of things and your heart of worries . . . you’ll be delighted with what you find in those sacred hollows.
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Wednesday, August 3, 2011
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