Transitioning Through the Seasons of Life

    Schools are starting back up after the summer and the fall season is upon us. Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Most people have a favorite season and one that they don’t look forward to. One thing for sure regardless of how we feel about any season they will constantly come around. This is also a reality of life. We live life in seasons of constant change. Just as we can’t stop the seasons of the calendar, we can’t stop the seasons of life. Every season brings a new change we must learn how to deal with. […]

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A Time Decision

  In the words of those 1960’s philosophers, The Animals, “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want.” The life philosophy championed by them and others in this decade was “I’ll spend my life or time the way I think best.” Is the most satisfying and profitable use of our time found in doing what we want? Time is a valuable commodity. It is the essence of life and once spent is forever gone. When born into this world each of us are assigned a limited amount of time (Psalm 90:10). None of us knows when our allotment is […]

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Motherless

Mother’s Day is a time when we remember and celebrate mom. However, for many people this day is rather difficult. For some it is a reminder of a broken dream of being a mother. For others it is bittersweet as they remember a loving mom who is no longer with them. But there is another group for whom the day triggers pain and resentment. Their mother is alive, but the relationship is broken or superficial at best. I call this group the motherless. They do not feel they have ever had a true nurturing mother. How do you survive another […]

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I’m Bored

“I’m bored.” What parent hasn’t heard those words from their children? But sometimes the children aren’t the only ones saying it. Many adults have said the same thing to their spouse or to themselves. Boredom is closely linked to a lack of contentment in life. They are both feelings about the inability to enjoy the moment, the current phase of life. A person like this is constantly looking for the next thrill or adrenaline rush. Happiness is somewhere in the future with the next achievement, accolade, possession or promotion — never now. This person leaves other family and friends wondering, […]

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Dealing with Death’s Reality

American culture does not deal well with the reality of death. Most people live in denial of it. We pretend it will never happen to us or to someone we love. When death touches our life in some way, most of us don’t know how to act, what to say or how to grieve. In other cultures death is accepted and confronted in all its reality. It used to be more so in our recent past. People would be cared for at home and often die there. The body would be viewed and the wake held at home over perhaps […]

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Live Intentionally

Life is a wonderful gift from God. It is valuable, fragile, fleeting and constantly changing. It is full of contrasts: joy and sorrow, life and death, war and peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says it best: “For everything there is a season…” Every negative of life has a positive, and because of the negative, we are able to enjoy and appreciate the positive. How do we live life with the respect it deserves? One thought comes to mind: maximize your God-given design.   Identity – find it Early in life we think we are part of mom. Then we are part of […]

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Naughty Or Nice?

Do you remember hearing “Santa Claus is coming and he only brings toys to nice boys and girls. If you are naughty all you will get is a lump of coal.” Naughty or nice, does God work like Santa Claus? God or Santa As Christmas approaches how about you, have you been naughty or nice? As adults Santa is no longer the concern. What does God think of you? Does he see you as naughty or nice? Many think God has a negative view of them. Is that true of you? Christmas is such a magical time of the year. […]

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Happy Holidays – Bah Humbug

What’s in your holiday celebrations? For many it’s their favorite time of the year. For others it means nothing but stress, anger or sadness. This process of inner dread may have already started as they have seen the decorations go up in stores and malls. Why are there such extreme views about this time of year? Let’s consider some of the reasons and possible solutions to having a more enjoyable holiday season.   Unrealistic expectations The holidays are about family and pleasant memories of the past. The cultural images, advertising and many programs show warm winter scenes, perfect holiday tables […]

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Building a Life You’ll Enjoy

Why do a large number of divorces occur after 25-30 years of marriage? Why are so many people bored and depressed with their life? Why do people turn to thrill seeking activities like substance abuse, affairs, dangerous hobbies or spending money they don’t have? One common denominator among all these people is they are not happy. Ask people what they want out of life, and a large percentage of the answers would be somewhere along the lines of “I just want to be happy?”  If you were given a magic lamp and three wishes, what would you wish for? What […]

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