The “Duck Dynasty” phenomenon sweeping the US has introduced a new phrase, said with a Louisiana drawl – “happy, happy, happy.”  Phil, the patriarch of the family, deals with life’s trials by encouraging his clan to be happy. The self-described… Continue reading

It was my day off. The lawn was mowed, household chores complete, car maintenance finished, and I was growing anxious.  I paced, flipped through a book, looked at magazine. Then, I realized I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms. From what?… Continue reading

A few weeks ago, I asked a young man to mow my lawn after I was ill.  He hurried through the job.  He left areas untouched, the trimming half-done, and sped through the rest. It was ‘mowed,’ but not like… Continue reading

*a re-run for Labor Day! Then, there’s Monday! How do you feel about it?  Depressed about getting back to work? Eager to reconnect with friends? Dreading that first long meeting? Thankful that you have a job? Most of us feel… Continue reading

Warning – this is not an easy read. “Civilization” is a relative word, isn’t it?  Humans can be as brutal as any beast. Last week, we were stunned by the news report about three teenage boys, bored on a summer… Continue reading

The 12 year old in my household thinks he knows so much about life.  His ‘instructions’ can be humorous and yes, his certainty about things about which he is seriously misinformed can be irritating. Sometimes I unconsciously adopt a patronizing… Continue reading

Miley Cyrus put on quite a show at at the VMA awards on Sunday night. Her act had the press in a buzz.  This time around it wasn’t just ‘church ladies’ who were shocked. She went from entertainment to raunchy… Continue reading

About a year ago, I was gung-ho for my daily visits to the gym. I was engaged with my trainer, ready to get this old body in shape, feeling the need to be conditioned. By mid-October, the enthusiasm faded along… Continue reading

A couple of weeks ago I went home from the office angry and depressed. I could only see the immediate needs, the big problems, the financial challenges, blah, blah…  When I get in that state, it’s not a pretty sight!… Continue reading

Often people tell me, “There’s just no way I could do (fill in name of ministry, goal, experience).”  Most of the time what that really means is that they are just not motivated to put in the effort or do… Continue reading