As we face the unexpected crisis of isolating in our homes, many of us find ourselves coping with unprecedented stress and troubles. The circumstances oppress us and we struggle to live among those we may find prickly at times. David spent years under the oppression of a spiritually…
Welcome to the month of hopeless romanticism and hapless heartbreak. The retail world blushes all shades of pink, red, and lavender in an urge to sell us passion in packages. Singles resent the reminders of their isolation. Couples stress over how to avoid disappointing their beloved ones. Moms sigh over…
January has three weeks bulging under her belt. Many of this month's early-date fans now resent her as much as their own waistlines. Unlike the fickle masses, statistics maintain a consistent view of January. She reflects human nature's tendency to launch with the boldest of aspirations only to crash into…
I struggled with motivation at the onset of the New Year. My attempts to launch the year by setting goals or resolutions sputtered. No word for the year came to me, despite regular prayer and meditation. Instead, the questions of "Why?" and "Will my efforts even matter?" needled my thoughts. I…
I'm thankful each day. Some of the time. When I'm not tired, hungry, or complaining about something else. I yearn to define myself as an optimist, a positive individual. Instead, I seem to have a natural talent for finding what's wrong with things. Or what might go wrong. Despite my…
How to Pray by Listening by Crickett Keeth How would you describe your time in prayer? Do you do most of the talking, or is there a balance with listening? When we hear the words pray or prayer, we tend to think of speaking, not listening. When we pray, we…
The smoke settles across our fire-scorched battlefield. Beside us, the mud groans as it swallows the two severed dragon heads of distorted identity. The dragon's sister also decays on this field. Misplaced authority oozes its last bit of stench into the distant wind. The paved road glimmers with fresh dew…
One might doubt whether more can be said about storms this week, or even how I could mention the topic of joy. Bleary-eyed newscasters continue to report the current path of a seemingly endless hurricane. The stress of the record-breaking wait for Dorian to relent and move away has exhausted…
The funds continue to pour out over my career with no income coming back in yet. The postcards I mailed to bring in more opportunities have harvested nothing more than a few returned as undeliverable. I stand at the edge of what might be success, but cannot see the fruit of…
Who Me Brave? Guest Post by Janet Thompson What do you think of when you hear the word brave? We might all define bravery in different terms, but I think we can agree it takes courage to be brave. I heard Bill Carter, a former Secret Service Agent on a…