Life has challenges and can’t be faced alone, but with the help of faithful and loyal friends, we can make it through. We all need a Batman. They were right there beside me. Where I went, they went. I couldn’t shake them off, and neither would I want to. They […]
The heart of a man dries up without words of encouragement. But the gift of respect can flood his life with hope. Let’s listen well. All he wanted was some whispers of thankfulness. Some acknowledgment that what he did mattered. He had worked hard all day, fought his battles, and […]
Criticism, shouting, or being ‘put down’ releases the hormone Cortisol into our blood system. It causes us discomfort. When we know this, we can take greater responsibility for our responses. Four little words will send a shot of terror into a man’s soul. ‘We need to talk.’ On a local […]
If you knew me, would you still love me? We all need others who will be strong enough to handle what comes from the inner world of each other. When they had opened up, they looked at me and wondered if I would reject them. So many others had. I […]
‘Shoulds’ can pile up on the shoulders and shape our thinking. But we have efficacy. We have the power to make a change and stop ‘shoulding.’ We don’t have to live under the slavery of a ‘should.’ It was always the same message. ‘You should be doing better.’ ‘You’re not […]
Some trauma memories keep us locked into our past. But there is a cleansing that can happen. We need to bring ourselves to the presence of one who will wash us pure. I didn’t know what to do when they were sharing some of the stories of their past. I […]
When chaos comes, or we become aware of the mess we are in, we have choices to make. Charge at it, retreat from it, or engage in the mystery. All the nicely laid out plans had been turned upside down. I had a recipe for life, and now all the […]
Often life can feel like it’s one step forward and two steps back, but with a few words of affirmation, another step can be taken. Affirm the small footprints of the struggle and evoke the good to grow. He knew many people didn’t like him. He had made commitments then […]
Listening to others can be frustrating, but when we listen to our ‘self,’ we might find the key to compassionate listening to others. Going deep, where life is indeed happening, requires us to stop and be slow. Be quick to listen to your self. I wondered why I was getting […]
When we keep looking at the mountain of struggle, we can feel crushed, but when we know someone greater than the mountain is with us, we can find the help we need. Mountains move when we meditate on God’s goodness. Where I live, I’m surrounded by mountains. They’re not very […]