When my oldest son became ill, I spent nearly at week at the hospital, night and day. I discovered many things about hospitals that I am inclined to share. First and foremost, repeat after me, “This ain\’t no Holiday Inn™.” The sooner you get use to that idea, the better. Also, there are 397 possible positions of those so called “fold-out” chair-beds. Most of them can be viewed in any Chinese Torture book. Staff nurses think only of the patients. What\’s up with that? Would it kill them to bring me coffee when they first hear me fall out of the chair-bed? A muffin?... Read More

The Gift of a Journal If you have never taken the time to journal, I\’d like to introduce you to this practice. For many years I read books that suggested I record my thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I was asked to answer a series of questions related to the topic. Do you know what? I never bothered. Why should I do this, I wondered? After all, I reasoned, I knew what the answers would be. Writing would not reveal any secret agenda. It would simply waste my time. How wrong I was! I am going to ask you a series of questions. I invite you to take a few minutes to answer them. I would suggest... Read More

I remember my first Christmas tree as a married woman. Spending the holidays away from my childhood home, my husband and I braved shopping center parking lots in search of the perfect Christmas tree. The tree we bought was beautiful—for two days at least. Then needles began dropping from the tree because neither my husband nor I knew that you had to cut the bottom of the tree so that it could absorb water. As the fallen needles left bare branches, ornaments which were family heirlooms began to fall to the floor. Our first great tree adventure was a disaster. It was a disaster because I had forgotten... Read More

“You ain\’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin\’ a truck.” What if Elvis believed this Grand Ole Opry manager\’s critique after his l954 performance? Or the Beatles listened in 1962 when Decca Recording Company responded, “We don\’t like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out.” What if Rudyard Kipling quit writing when the San Francisco Examiner told him, “I\’m sorry, but you just don\’t know how to use the English language.” Or as a struggling artist, Walt Disney took seriously the words of a prospective... Read More

”I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” – Psalm 69:30 From time to time it\’s nice to get away from our daily routine. In autumn, a drive through the mountains to enjoy the spectacular range of color the Lord has created can be restorative. Recently I made such a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with my family. The weather cooperated with temperatures in the seventies and a slight breeze. Just right. Right? Wrong! It looked as if everyone who goes to Gatlinburg showed up that weekend. You couldn\’t move your car down the main street... Read More

Practically everybody has more than one name or title. I know I sure do. There\’s the one that\’s used when a great need arises, “Mommmm, can I use your car? Mine\’s out of gas. And ah…can I borrow 10 bucks?” After raising teens, I discovered the word “borrow” holds dual meanings. The first means to lend something, while the other is to give it away without expecting any return. Ever. And another name that\’s used is when a gentle reminder seems necessary, “Honey, I know you\’re all grown up now, but hasn\’t your Mother told you time and again... Read More

“My mother expects me to take care of her, even though I have a husband, children, and a job. But she\’s SO grateful when my brother calls once a month!” “When I ask my parents about their health they freak out and shut down!” “All I did was mentioned to my father that I\’d like to help him with the finances and suddenly the conversation took a dark turn. Now he won\’t even speak to me!” “Taking care of the house is overwhelming my mother but she won\’t even talk about getting help or moving.” Sound familiar? Frustrating? If so, you\’re... Read More

Someone once said that we are not physical beings having spiritual experiences but rather spiritual beings having a physical experience. I believe we each come here with unique talents. Just as the world is waiting for your gifts, your soul is waiting for you to create an environment that literally nurtures your best efforts rather than one that sabotages you at every turn. Imagine a large orchestra. The conductor brings the musicians to attention. Suddenly he realizes that one of the violinists is missing. The orchestra can continue and the audience will be pleased. But the music cannot live up... Read More

It was almost twenty-five years ago that Sandra Day O\’Connor was appointed as a justice of the United States Supreme Court. In the time since Justice O\’Connor\’s appointment to that august bench, a transformation has occurred – a transformation caused by the ever increasing number, authority and position of women lawyers. Twenty-five years ago female attorneys were such a novelty that they were often mistaken for nonprofessional support staff. Women attorneys dressed like men in boxy suits and bow ties (pant suits were generally considered taboo), and oftentimes tried... Read More

When we ordered the stained glass window as an accent piece for our home, the artist-proprietor told us he was a bit behind. “So,” he said, “to be on safe side, plan on six months.” That was two years ago. We still don\’t have the window. Each time we call or stop in, he has yet another plausible reason why our project isn\’t done, the appropriate apology and a new promise of a delivery date. What he doesn\’t have is credibility. Wishful promises don\’t cut it in small-town businesses or big-city corporations. It doesn\’t matter what role you\’re... Read More