If only… I understand why some people refer to these words as the saddest in the English language. They open our hearts to the sting of the “would haves”: If only I knew how little time she had left. I would have made the effort to go visit her. If only I listened before jumping…
“You sure love to beat yourself up.” Sighing, I realized the truth of my friend’s words. After stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new, I nitpicked my performance, noting every flaw and imperfection. Yet as hard and demanding as I am with myself, I can be soft and gracious with others. I…
Recently, my husband asked me to clarify my expectations for Valentine’s Day. Expectations can be tricky. We learned early in our marriage how unmet expectations lead to frustration. Every. Single. Time. Married couples do not corner the market on unmet expectations. These types of frustration play out in a myriad of scenarios across a variety…
Imagine if we treated each new dawn of each new day with the same reverence and joy as we do each new year.– Angie Lynn When I taught in an elementary classroom, I used a Clip Chart (created by Rick Morris) as an integral part of our classroom management. Every morning, I clipped each student’s…
Every moment of your life is a second chance.– Rick Price Years ago I heard a story about a young pastor. As he geared up to preach his first sermon, nervous excitement coursed through his veins. Finally, the moment arrived. Facing his audience, he suddenly froze. His carefully crafted sermon faded into the recesses of…
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” -George Santayana My heart plummeted as I read the freshly printed agenda. With heightened hindsight, I suddenly remembered my responsibility as a presenter at the meeting. I glanced at the clock. 9:00 PM. The meeting would begin in just ten hours. Not only was…
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. –Confucius Standing in the parking lot of the grocery store, I fumbled with my phone as I attempted to place a mobile order using my Starbucks app. “This should be easier,” I kept thinking as I backed out of…
The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.-Pierre de Coubertin. I wanted to be a better person. A bigger person. A more spiritual person. A person who didn’t struggle. Recently I fell victim to chance and circumstance. An admittedly unfair situation forced itself upon me. I was simply in the wrong…
“We are what we think about all day long.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson While not necessarily a neat freak, I am an order freak. I like for things to be in their proper place. I need order to function, to be productive and to think clearly. So, I love lists. They help me to remember, to…
