With the holiday season behind us and months of chilly weather ahead of us, “it’s time to reinvigorate the soul…to find light in the darkness and prepare yourself to face down whatever comes next.” The inspiring words above come from an article in The NY Times titled “Find Some Peace this Holiday” by Erik Vance. But for the purposes of this column, I’m going to change the slant to “Finding Some Peace After the Holidays.” In much of the U.S.,... Read more
Have you ever been at a Christmas sermon and the minister/reverend/priest goes off topic? I know it peeves my wife Laney, and you may feel the same way. Because during Christmas church services, we want to hear about one thing—the story of the birth of Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem. If you go looking for the baby Jesus story in the Bible, you’ll see that only two gospels cover the actual birth, Luke and Matthew. (When Mark and John... Read more
These are dark days, aren’t they? I’m not talking about the relentless spread of COVID-19. I’m being literal here. It’s that time of year when the days are short and the nights are long, as we move closer to the darkest day of them all, December 21st. That’s the day with the least amount of sunshine and from that day on we gain more light each day for 6 months running. This lack of sunlight has long troubled people. In... Read more
When you picture God, do you conjure up an image of a fatherly figure with long white hair and a beard? If you answer yes, there’s a pretty good reason for that. Attend a religious service at any church, synagogue, or mosque and, more often than not, you’ll find God referred to in strictly male terms. You may be surprised to learn that in the three Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, God is not defined as a man or... Read more
Sometimes inspiration finds you. Other times you find it. The key is knowing where to look and for me one of the easiest places to locate a little spiritual stimulation is on one of the bookcases in our home. It was there, under a thin layer of dust, that I stumbled upon A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen. Do you remember this book? It was an instant bestseller when it first came out, to my surprise,... Read more
Welcome to a Thanksgiving like none ever. If you’re like a lot of people, the alarming surge in Covid-19 cases, combined with warnings from public health officials, has altered your holiday travel plans or changed the plans of friends and family members you were expecting to see. What can we do but make the best of it? While the Thanksgiving gatherings may be smaller than usual, across America we will still be celebrating the holiday. In my home, we’ll have... Read more
How did you sleep last night? Perhaps you’re like me—one of those people who has no trouble falling asleep, but who often wakes up at 3 or 4 in the morning feeling wide awake. I’ll then proceed to toss and turn for an hour, maybe two, before mercifully sleep again washes over me. As I try to sleep, the monkey mind is on the loose. The notion of the monkey mind comes from Buddhism and refers to the mind jumping... Read more
Let’s put political parties and issues aside for a moment and look at character. What were the moral and emotional qualities that distinguished the presidential candidates as individuals? Could you label each of them as honest and trustworthy? How about kind and empathetic? Character is important because it sets the tone for those around you, whether they be your political followers, your co-workers, your children, grandchildren or extended family. What you do and how you act rubs off on others,... Read more
Is it over yet? Just when you thought it might be safe to come out again, the election goes into overtime. It’s enough to make you drink—which I’ve been doing pretty much since the polls closed Tuesday evening. I’m sure my life will return back to normal, when and if they ever declare a winner. Yet there’s more to stress-relief than a strong pint of ale or a glass of red wine. I’ve written previously about how to de-stress almost... Read more
What is the secret to a happy and contented life? We’ve all heard the aphorism made famous by the American author and mythologist Joseph Campbell that you should “follow your bliss.” It sounds like a brilliant idea, one that most of us can get behind—but what does it mean exactly? Campbell’s remarks on bliss occurred during a discussion with journalist Bill Moyers on a popular PBS series titled The Power of Myth that first aired in 1988. He expanded on... Read more
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