Nine years ago my friend died. There really isn’t a nicer way to say it. She has been gone longer now than the number of years I got to spend time with her. She believed in me in ways no one else did. She asked the questions that I had desperately needed someone to ask….
Category: Spiritual
“In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry, or of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care…
Things I wish my middle-schoolers knew…
The church and I only have them, on average, four hours a week. That leaves one hundred and sixty eight hours for someone, or something, else to fill. Weekly: 4 versus 168. Monthly: 16 versus 672. Yearly: 208 versus 8,736. The enormity of that difference is frightening. Who or what is filling those hours? The…
Tribe
I love the idea of a tribe. A squad. A group. A posse. A pack. Whatever you want to call it. I call mine a tribe because the word means something to me; I feel it in my bones. My tribe has certainly changed throughout the years. It has shrunk, it has grown, it has…
It’s a new year…
Resolution. I like that word. Some words are powerful and this is one of English’s more fascinating, compelling words. Like many words in English, the word resolution can mean different things, depending on the context. It can mean a firm decision to do or not to do something. Intention. Resolve. Plan. 2. It can also…
Sin
“It can come dressed in white lily lace, Wrapped with the golden bow of solid treasure. There is but one key to the lock That seals Pandora’s box. It whispers beautiful music That causes you to dance wildly, Taking you back to a time Where you felt most alive. So you invite it in… You…
A lesson in living.
I am a fixer, by nature. I enjoy being in control. I like peace and calm, though I am not afraid of an argument or a fight when necessary. I am a pragmatist. I understand that the world we live in will never foster an environment of peace. I know there will never be tranquility…
Oceans
There is something so spiritual about the ocean. I imagine the hundreds of years full of millions of people who stood on decks searching the horizon for the thin strip of land, a ray of hope, a glimpse of their nearing future. I imagine loved ones who have passed on simply relaxing on the other…
To my fifth graders…
I think as humans we all feel that sometimes we are just not making a difference the way we are supposed to. I know some of you already feel that way at such a young age. Guess what? I feel like that at times, too. So here is a little secret, one some of you…
Mary, did you know?
I have read and heard the story numerous times. We all have at least once in our life. Mary, the mother of Jesus, the mother of God in human form, went through more than most of us will in a lifetime. Mary, did you know? Did you know that the little boy who looked up…