Hello all, I’ll be out of town/country for the next couple of weeks.

Please check back Monday, March 22nd where you can look forward to once again reading 3 posts per week throughout the Spring and Summer!

These posts are important to me and I pray are helpful and encouraging to you! Thanks so much for following this blog!!

Till then… Blessings!

Love. What other idea is written about, pondered, and striven for more than this? The world of art is dominated by the subject. Imagine the world of poetry, music, novels, histories and paintings if overnight all references to love were vanquished?

The world would be dark indeed — bankrupt of purpose, it would seem.

But I have a bit of a ‘bone to pick’ with many of these expressions. Primarily when we think of love or what inspires us to consider its absence or presence in our lives we usually look upward. For instance, we behold the bright blue skies, the fullness of the moon and competition among stars as each seeks to outshine the other in order to gain our attention; we peruse sunrises and sunsets, our brow is lifted as we search the fragrance of flowers, blooming trees or seasons delivered to us upon the breeze of the wind. Ah, yes… love is ‘in the air,’ we sing. Continue reading…

Check out the following quotes and guess who had the audacity to say them:

Geez, you’re fat!

You stupid loser!

Way to go, Einstein!

I mean… how could you do that?!

No wonder nobody likes you!

I don’t think you’ll be winning a metal for best parent anytime soon!

You’re such a lousy person – your spouse must be disgusted with you!

You don’t have friends because you don’t deserve them!

Your personality sucks!

You’re a failure: An utter… abject… reeking… failure!

If there is a hell, nobody deserves to go there more than you!

If somebody could say the wrong thing at the wrong time, you’re the one I’m betting on!

You have no willpower whatsoever. None. Zippo!

Okay, who said these things… and to whom did they say them? Continue reading…

I saw this awhile back and it came to mind again today. As with so many things we see passed around the Internet, whether or not it really occurred is anyone’s guess. However, the point it makes is still poignant – especially over a weekend when so many of us must decide whether to be ‘present’ or not – present with ourselves, others, God and nature.

The story is as follows: A group of Geography students studied the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of that section, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes: Continue reading…

As someone not confrontational by nature, I tend to avoid conflict. It certainly wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I’m tension averse. Ironically, because of this aversion, I can list any number of times that by avoiding entering into tension, the resulting outcome was much worse than if I had! And so I find it a bit ironic that my chosen occupation demands I confront the tension of not wanting to enter into tension by doing just that! I’m starting to sound like the apostle Paul – “that which I do not want to do I do…” Any psychologists out there who can help?

To some degree, I suppose all of us are in the peace and reconciliation business. For instance, who among us hasn’t faced the need to address the periodic tension that occurs in our familial relationships or at work or even play? It’s inevitable – where two or more are gathered together, eventually tension will arise. How we deal with it can bring life or death, healing or hurt, dignity or disaster. Continue reading…