In 2020, I wrote a post with twenty practices that honor the beauty and worth we all have. Now, in 2022, with COVID-19 still wreaking havoc on our hurting planet and news filled with loneliness, violence, and sorrow, it seems fitting to offer more ideas to see everyday life through a brighter lens (but not […]
Category Archives: Food For Thought
I: Who, What, When Where, Why Like, I’m sure at least some of you, there are times I forget to see the life-signposts with flashing lights screaming: “Who are you hurting (hopefully unwittingly) with a lack of awareness?” “What, small but valuable something, are you missing running through life? “When do you choose to look away rather […]
I was asked by a friend, doing research, some “life queries.” Her questions and my responses follow. Question: What keeps me up at night? Answers: • Nightmares (literally); had one again last night despite being completely violence averse. • Trying to figure out what I’m called to do with the rest of this life. […]
Pain is real. I don’t know even one adult who has not experienced some heartache during this lifetime. Yet, hope continues to loom—even in the dark, even when we don’t acknowledge it—perhaps especially when we don’t acknowledge it. It’s sometimes easier to assign negativity and sorrow to our lives than it is to embrace each diamond […]
People who wear makeup have been to “beauty bars.” Sometimes they’re swanky shops with perfectly coiffed artists just waiting to paint you in the colors of their choice. Other times, the beauty bar is in a chain store or pharmacy, where you stand perplexed by the hundreds of items promising to make you look “better,” or […]
For contemporary Christians, Advent is a time of readiness, an anticipation-filled awaiting of the birth of Jesus. But, what used to be a time of reflection and prayer is often replaced by a season of buying. The “bringing into total perfection” has morphed into bringing in more possessions. Road and internet-weary consumers choose something, anything, […]
Last night, I went to bed hungry. It was by choice, not by necessity. There were moments while lying in the darkened room that I thought about getting up, going into the kitchen, opening a pantry or refrigerator door, and choosing something to eat. But I didn’t. Instead, I thought about the 800 million people on our […]
I recently did some research on Siddhartha Gautama, often simply called, The Buddha. I’m not very familiar with Buddhism, but a conversation with someone important to me regarding whether the human experience requires significant (maybe continual) suffering. created the desire to learn more. Gautama was raised in a life of wealth but left opulence behind […]
Twelve —often considered the “perfect” number. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, twelve is symbolic of God’s authority and perfection. Biblically, there are 187 references, including Jacob’s twelve sons and the ancestors of Israel’s twelve tribes. In ancient Greece, twelve gods of Olympus were worshiped. In Buddhism, there are twelve stages of existence (Nidanas). Twelve lines create […]
Fragile: shatterable, easily broken, delicate, overly sensitive, vulnerable Thinking about the human experience, I recognize that many of you understand what it’s like to feel vulnerable and fragile—as if just one more situation or comment could fracture you into a hundred pieces. Maybe you’ve always been very sensitive—aware of your feelings and emotions, cognizant of […]
Awarenesses from an unusually balmy autumn day last week. I sit on the unroofed porch, listening, pondering, observing—a citizen of this world, alone; the sun shining unusually brilliant; maybe that’s just my imagination, but I don’t think so. The light illuminates the table on which I’m writing, creating flecks of green and purple never before […]
Tears—big, fat tears, the kind that makes some men uncomfortable, and many women sigh—rolled down his cheeks. He laid on a hospital bed, his life nearing the end, spending precious moments with the daughter who sat next to him—this daughter who wasn’t his and was always his. He was only in his sixties. He talked about his beloved wife. […]
Love: a noun or a verb; its etymology dates back to the 1800s “lufu” or “leubh”— desire or care. At church on Sunday, Jo talked about “love.” That simple word conjures up all kinds of feelings because we employ it to explain experiences as varied as the emotions of star-gazing lovers or buying a new […]
A thirty-something woman confided that she’s perpetually exhausted—stressful career, young children, constant hamster wheel. It’s tough to manage “Super Mom,” “Stellar Business Person,” and “Amazing Homemaker” at the same time! Of course, she’s tired. Something’s gotta give. I often forget to practice conscious breathing instead, endeavoring to physically and mentally “do everything.” I actually catch myself holding my breath sometimes! Talk about going so […]
When my granddaughter, Lauren, was ten, she read a story to me about a family with three young children that survived the devastating Joplin, Missouri tornado of 2011. I’m sure that life has never been quite the same for them. The recognition of “what they could have lost” probably still dances through their minds every […]
Early this morning, I woke up thinking about our hurting world. I try to imagine how women in Afghanistan must feel right now, but having more freedom than most will ever experience, I can’t even touch that fear. I visualize the hateful signs I pass on fellow humans’ houses screaming F**K this or that, aware […]
Like most, or at least many, of the humans I know, I’ve had my fair share of pain in this life. In my three-pound brain, there are times when I feel as if I’ve experienced too much sorrow, but “too much” is incredibly nebulous. What is “too much?” Who measures that? Is there a yardstick […]
There are more than 6,000 spoken languages on our planet! And, it’s estimated that there are over 300 languages used for communication in The United States of America alone! But today, I want to talk about we communicate with each other, not the astonishing number of dialects used. Sometimes, we forget how to calmly express […]
My brother, Bob, diagnosed with his first brain tumor at sixteen, died when he was forty. He beat insurmountable odds. In the last years of his life, he was wheelchair-bound, and his brain lived in the past. Incredibly, through all the surgeries and pain, he never once complained or uttered, “why me?” A life that blessed many […]
I’ve gotten feedback and questions on last week’s “Home” series, specifically about all the things we own, so today, let’s look at possessions. When did we wrap our arms around a culture that defines us, sometimes almost entirely, by what we own?Does stuff really buy happiness? There’s psychological support that, for many, there is immediate gratification when acquiring something. But, […]
Home WeekMonday: Garages & SocksTuesday: BedroomsWednesday: SpacesThursday: Step-by-StepCreating a home you love requires taking the time to design a personal oasis where you feel relaxed and calm as soon as you walk through the door. So for the last day of “Home Week 2021” let’s take a “tour” of some other rooms in your home. The […]
Welcome to home week! We all experience peace differently. For some of us, “peaceful” is quiet and serene, while, for others, it’s loud and fun. We’ll also react positively to different colors, items and experiences because (of course) we’re different. Some specifics relate to almost everyone, but creating your peaceful home is as unique as […]
Home should be your safe place, your respite from the world where you can slow down, breathe and simply BE. Of course, different factors influence your ability to experience peace—who you live with, your physical location, the folks in your neighborhood, the house itself. So, Today, let’s talk about your physical environment and a dozen changes […]
“I’m so glad I’m home!” That’s the sense of relief I want you to experience every time you walk into your house. Think about it like moving from driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, with blaring horns, and level ten stress level, to pulling onto a beautiful tree-lined street with birds chirping and the smell of honeysuckle […]
Your home should calm, restful, and re-energizing. If you’re fortunate enough to own a house with a garage, it’s ideal to use it for its intended purpose and the perfect place to begin creating a Zen home. “Garage”—French from the root word “garer”—means to cover or shelter. Automobiles, when invented, were costly, highly coveted, and […]
peace full home®—intentional living 