The Gift
Think of the people in your life. Even those you are having difficulty with. Pick one of them. Write them a letter, create a card to send, a piece of art, something to encourage the person you have chosen. You may or may not send it. In fact, in some instances it might be best […]
The Face of Hope: Part II
My interest in the topic of hope began in the fall of 2011. I was looking for a thesis question as part of my graduate school program. Condensing my thesis question into one sentence was seeming almost impossible. I was looking for a question that would work cross-culturally, offer simplicity, and yet have some depth. This […]
Moldova: Creating hope (video)
This video is part of my graduate school thesis project in Community Counseling at Northwest Christian University. The question guiding my thesis work was, “How do we create hope in the face of distressing circumstances?” Moldova was the focus of this thesis. Our team to Moldova consisted of two professors and seven graduate students from […]
Change
Notes from my journal: Interdependence is more important than independence. Rather than creating a safe environment look to develop courage and compassion. The path is not always safe. People do not care how much you know about them once they know how much you care. Choose adventure and service over safety and self-interest. Choose collaboration […]
Take a moment
The past is a memory. Draw richly from it… with gratitude. And the future, my you draw forth hope and possibility. Is your past one of beauty and light? No matter how it may appear, you get to choose. It may not be easy. It may take a heart willing to shine the light of […]
Moldova: The Faces of Hope trailer
This is a video trailer for a project related to my graduate work in counseling. The photos and video were taken in Moldova (Eastern Europe). Moldova: The Face of Hope trailer
Letter to my father: Acknowledging our shared humanity
Several years ago I wrote a letter to my father. The purpose of the letter was to establish a sense of completion and fulfillment in my life in relationship with him. Our relationship was probably not unlike many father-son relationships, a little strained to say the least. Most of my memories, at the time, were […]
From Worry to Peace of Mind
I recall clearly riding my tricycle, as a child, and accidentally riding over a bee. I am not sure how old I was, perhaps four or five. I got off my tricycle, kneeled down on the ground and put my eyes as close as possible to the bee’s little body. I stared with wonder. In […]
The Meaning of Being Considerate
At a recent Interfaith Prayer Service I shared a couple of readings and thought this would be a good space to share them with others. This first passage is from a dialogue conducted between Daisaku Ikeda and high school student representatives entitled “Dialogues with Youth.” “The noble side of a person is manifested in kindness […]
Appreciate Your Life
I cannot take full credit for the following post. A version of this article was sent to me several years ago. Since that time I have made several revisions to it. Learning it is difficult because our society teaches us about good and bad, right and wrong. We are programmed to believe in good and […]