Moments of Gratitude
Let’s take a moment and to do an inventory of what we have to appreciate. Pay attention to the moment. Search and notice what there is to appreciate. No matter what the circumstances, if we pay close attention we will find something to be grateful for, to appreciate. Take action by actually appreciating. We can […]
Dialogue: Curiosity Inspires Hope
From time to time, I would like to share notes from my journals. When possible, I will cite the sources; however, my early readings were not well cited. The best I can do in some instances is to cite whom I quoted and the date of the notes. I came across some notes in my […]
The Nature of Hope
Writing about hope, in part, is meant to appease my curiosity and interest in the topic. Of course, I will be grateful if what I have to share is helpful to others in some small way. But whether or not these posting are of interest to others is not as important as exploring and sharing […]
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 […]
Creating a Space for Hope
We live in an increasingly multicultural and multiethnic society. Our world community is getting smaller with distinctions and boundaries blurring. It is a time of increasing violence, poverty, corruption, and threats to democracy. Humanity is challenged, hope is challenged. Reality can give rise to fear, but can also give grounds for hope. I would like […]
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 […]
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
Beyond Difference: Acknowledging our shared culture
It is important to celebrate our heritage, be it cultural, ethnic or spiritual. It is also important to respect those of others. However, only acknowledging what makes us different from others, while ignoring the common source of life that connects us all, leads to divisiveness rather than harmony. Our true identity is to be found […]
Departure
A five-year-old boy,suitcase in hand,standing at the edge of leaving. Behind him,a family lifts a camera—the moment framed,the boy already moving. “You were running away.Something must have happened.” For a long time,I believed the story. But I was not running.No—I was learning how to go. Departing.The first pull of the road.Searching.Listening.Discovering what callsbefore it explains […]