It’s okay to be a hobbit!
When wizard Gandalf presents Bilbo Baggins as the last member of the dwarf company in Tolkein’s story, he faces resistance because the dwarves don’t think Bilbo’s up to the task. Neither does Bilbo! After all, he can’t fight. He can’t fend for himself in the wild. Gandalf settles the debate by pointing out one quality: […]
It’s expensive to be poor
It’s probably because I’m working on my tax returns that I’m more sensitive to the contrast between expensive and cheap, between well off and poor. And I have to admit that I feel fortunate that I haven’t really had to struggle with poverty. But my awareness of the extreme differences in our society has been […]
from a kid’s view…
In honor of this month’s focus on ‘meaningful’ relationships, this post shares some fun statements youngsters have made about love and marriage! HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY? You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should […]
Are you wintering?
Here’s a thought-provoking word: wintering. I enjoyed reflecting on Katherine May’s words in my recently-read Wintering: the Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. She describes it as those moments when life turns cold through crisis or loss and we find ourselves living at a different, slower pace. Wintering is a process by which […]
Let Go?!
There’s many a lesson I’m still learning, and this is one of them! LETTING GO(D) doesn’t mean not caring, it means not taking responsibility for someone else. LETTING GO(D) doesn’t mean cutting myself off from others, it means realizing that I can’t control others. LETTING GO(D) doesn’t mean caring for, it means caring about. LETTING […]
Skating on thin ice?
When I’m experimenting with something new, I’m often a bit tentative, not sure that what I’m messing around with is solid enough to hold the full weight of my being. In times like these, I picture myself standing on the edge of a frozen body of water, asking “Is this ice thick enough to hold […]
This crazy language of ours
Ah, the delightful quirks of the English language-a language with so many rules and far too many exceptions. But English was invented by people, not computers. It reflects the creativity of the human race which, of course, is not a race at all. After all, there is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger, […]
a different serenity prayer!
We all may know the basic Serenity Prayer, but have you see some of the tweaked ones? Here are some…and you may know of others! My favorite one (which I couldn’t find an image for) is… “God, grant me the serenity to accept there are things I’ve no time to read, time to read the […]
A blank calendar…
I love putting up a brand new calendar! As I look at the pictures and the day the holidays and my birthday will fall on, I love seeing all the white spaces. Each square is ready and waiting for me to write in whatever I want. Before we begin filling in those white spaces, we […]
Revised Christmas to-do list!
Here’s my suggested revised list for the season! BUY PRESENTS (be present!) 2. WRAP GIFTS (wrap someone in a hug) 3. SEND GIFTS (send love) 4. SHOP FOR FOOD (donate food) 5. MAKE COOKIES (make memories) 6. SEE THE LIGHTS (be the light) Blessings to everyone this holiday season!