Washing of feet much more than a symbol
Wash your feet. That’s probably not something you hear or say very often. We wear shoes and socks much of the time, and most of the walking we do is indoors or on paved roads and parking lots. You probably wash your feet when you take your shower every day, but most likely you don’t think about it even then. You just do it. “Washing of the feet,” however, is something many of us think about during the Easter season [...]
Morning sun brings an enlightening experience
I didn’t ask for a message or a miracle, but that’s what I got. I was sitting on the sofa in my family room, doing my prayer exercise. This is a ritual – part prayer, part journal, part asking God for advice – that grew out of a class I once took. Now it’s something I do every morning. The past few weeks had been extremely busy, with the kind of work that made me feel like I was taking [...]
A surprise discovery comes on someone else’s birthday
I attended a friend’s surprise 50th birthday party on Sunday. On the birthday card I got for her I added the note, “Welcome to the 50’s!” And as I sealed the envelope it occurred to me that it won’t be too long before I’ll be waving goodbye to the 50’s from the other direction. A similar realization struck me not long ago, as Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season approached. I follow my faith’s Lenten rules of fast and abstinence, [...]
A morning meeting generates dynamic dialogue
I’m generally not fond of meetings that start at 6:30 or 7:30 in the morning, but lately it seems I’ve been going to more and more of them. When my alarm goes off, I often ask myself, “Why am I doing this again?” But then I get there and remember, “Oh yes, this is why.” That was certainly my reaction one day last week when I attended a meeting whose purpose was to talk. Just – talk. Actually, there was [...]
Motivation and momentum from an unexpected source
Sometimes, things that we think are minor or relatively unimportant turn out not to be so minor after all. They end up taking on a life of their own. Their significance is more widespread than we realized at first, and the changes and results that come about because of them are more profound and impactful than we ever imagined they could be. It seems that that’s going to be the case with a new project I’ve just taken on, and [...]
Loaded with email – and ready to change
A newspaper article I read last week talked about people using their email inboxes to stash hundreds – or even thousands – of emails in much the same way that people who are packrats stash their physical “stuff” into the attic or garage. A few days later, I received a newsletter – by email, of course – that had an article on the same subject. But this was more business-related, talking about how an inbox full of email dilutes our [...]