I realize now what my mom had to go through. I came from a family of 4 kids, with only a span of 6 years between us. My mother was a Stay-At-Home mom; we were her life. None of her own family lived near us, they were in other countries – Hong Kong, Australia, Canada. […]
It is not a coincidence that when I begin to criticize someone’s behavior that I become aware of that same bad behavior in myself. The Bible is right (well, it’s always right) – How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is […]
We can live life pretty well without prayer. Even as a Christian, I can do just about everything without asking for God’s help. I have no urgency to pray. When there is a crisis – health problems, major decisions, a special need such as a job – then the need for prayer is apparent. But […]
Jim Rohn: “Most people overestimate what they can do in their first year, and greatly underestimate what they can do in five years.†A year ago I made 5 goals to accomplish before I turn 50. My birthday is in 2 days…if I don’t sleep for 2 days, I might get one of them completed… […]
Working together with people with the same mission and vision is the way friendship is often built. I made friends in college when studying together, working on presentations together, and promoting department events together. My roommate and I were never good friends even though we got along. We didn’t have any common projects to work […]
Is it bad to make a new year resolution and not keep to it? Is it better not to make resolutions at all? There are the “should” kind of resolutions – “I should lose some weight.”, “I should stop smoking.” Those are not real resolutions. Those are merely words to appease your guilt of abusing […]
I came across this poem published 100 years ago, yet so relevant for me today. It’s an appropriate reflection as we begin a new year. At the Gate of the Year I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the […]
I read this in Amy’s Social Studies book: Many inventions of the Industrial Revolution simply made life easier. When Alexis de Tocqueville of France visited the United States in the early 1830’s, he identified what he called a very American quality: [Americans want] to be always making life more comfortable and convenient, to avoid trouble, […]
1. Tried a new recipe of mini pumpkin pecan pies. Let’s just say I am not going to make them again. 2. Stayed up past midnight 2 nights playing Ticket To Ride. The first game was won by the youngest in the family; the second game was won by the second youngest. That goes to […]
There are people who are rich, and there are people who have money. They are not the same thing. I think I am pretty rich.
Brought out the old yearbooks…should I laugh or cry?? In my brother’s yearbook, 1968, his junior high school had a Computer Club!! What did they do? When I was in 8th grade, I was voted the shyest…yes, I was very quiet then. I have ONE friend from junior high school that I still keep in […]
This is from Dennis Rainey of Family Life. I signed up for his emails. Not long after I graduated from the University of Arkansas, a female friend came to me for counsel. She was dating a young man who happened to be my best friend. And though she wanted to marry him, he was uncertain […]
As we dropped off our daughter at her college dorm yesterday, I exclaimed in a wave of nostalgia, “Ah…college were some of the best years of my life. It looks like too much fun here!” If I had a chance to relive any part of my life, would I want to relive my college days? […]
There is a Chinese phrase with no English translation that I know of. My literal translation of the phrase is “diffused heart” or “scattered heart.” My mom used to say that to us when we don’t want to study when school started in September. “You have a ‘scattered heart’ after the long summer vacation.” Or […]
We look at others less fortunate, and we feel better about our own situation, don’t we? But how about when see those in better situations, do we feel dissatisfied about our own? If I had chosen to go to a different college, my life could be as good as theirs. If I go to a […]
“Sorry for the last minute change of plans, mom.” My son has his own apartment in college. Expecting him to come home for dinner tonight, I took a roast out of the freezer to prepare him some protein-rich-high-calorie red meat to fill his skips-breakfast-fast-food undernourished body. In the afternoon, he told me he’s going back […]
Regret is wishing you took a different action, after you saw the results of your decision. I will always remember pushing a Christmas tree into our van. In a moment of carelessness, a branch from the tree ripped the felt on the ceiling of the van. It was a irreparable mistake. I regret not taking […]
Randy Pausch died yesterday. In his famous last lecture, he said he had two childhood dreams. I remarked to my son that I couldn’t think of what my childhood dreams were. Maybe I didn’t any dreams that I passionately pursued. My son said, “Maybe that’s why you haven’t accomplished anything.” He didn’t mean it as […]
A talking animal, a flying human, a house grows out of the ground – these I call miracles. Events that are impossible as defined by our experiences and by what we know of how the world works are definitely miracles. Are there other types of miracles? When the probability of something happening is so low […]
This just occurred to me that I find interesting: While Jesus was being arrested and Peter pulls out his sword, Jesus reprimanded him saying, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” It is clear that the Father’s will for Jesus is to be arrested, and eventually go to the cross. So […]