I had just finished a presentation for the staff at a Senior Living Community, when one of the attendees came up to me and said, “You know, you could be a pastor.” I was flattered by her words, and more than a little surprised. No one’s ever said anything like that before. People have told me they were inspired or motivated by my programs, or that I gave them a new way of thinking or looking at things. Some later told me of changes they [...]
It is our most debilitating weakness that often turns into our greatest strength. Our most shameful secrets that bring about our most lasting peace. And our deepest sorrows that lead to our greatest joys. But not until we share them. For most of us, this goes against every instinct we have. The awful experiences in our past – whether they are things we’ve done, things others have done to us, or devastating and embarrassing events that just happened – the last thing we want to [...]
“Guess what? It’s snowing outside!” When I was young, that’s the greeting my sisters and I woke up to every year on April 1st. Mom would come into our bedrooms with the exciting news, but before we could jump out of bed and race to the window to see for ourselves, she’d add, “April Fool!” By then we were awake enough to realize for ourselves that we were now in the month of April. And it never snowed in April. April 1st came and went [...]
I’m still sorting and organizing pictures from my recent pilgrimage. Since we visited a number of churches, chapels, cathedrals and basilicas, many of my photos are of the beautiful artwork and architecture in each of them. Other photos are from different cultural and historical sites and activities – the Palace of Fine Arts, where we saw the stunning Folkloric Ballet of Mexico; the Museum of Anthropology; the site of what is believed to be the largest pyramid in the world, where we said prayers of [...]
“Remember,” the Tour Director told us, “this is not a vacation. And it is not a tour. It’s a pilgrimage.” Say the word, “pilgrimage,” and I immediately think of a procession of people walking toward Mecca. Or caravans of people in Biblical times, on camels and donkeys, in wagons or on foot, crossing the desert to get to Jerusalem. And if you say, “pilgrims,” I automatically envision early American settlers – women in long, heavy dresses, with white aprons and bonnets, and men in black [...]
The conference officially started at 9:30, but the doors opened at 8:30 for coffee, networking, and shopping – not necessarily in that order. I decided to get there right at 8:30 in order to beat the crowd, but apparently “the crowd” had the same idea. There were over a thousand women at the conference, and it seemed as though most of them were already there when I arrived. The conference I was attending was the second annual WINE Conference, but it had nothing to do [...]
As always, I spent some time thinking about what my New Year’s Resolution/s would be this year. Part of this process was reviewing my resolutions from the last few years – which is easy for me to do since I devote a column every year to the subject. It’s become a stroll down Memory Lane for me, as well as a good analytical tool. I can see which resolutions became habits and routines that I still follow today, as well as ones that I’m still [...]
A friend of mine posted the details of a recent experience she had, and the story was so heartwarming and uplifting – not to mention perfect during the holiday season – I knew I had to share it with others. I told her I wanted to write about it, and she graciously gave me her permission. The story ended with someone’s prayer being answered. And it started a few miles away from a home improvement store. That’s where my friend first drove past an elderly, [...]