Are you hard on yourself? Do you often think “I should have done better!” I know I do! I’ve spent much of my life trying to ‘get better, do better, be better’ – my bookshelves are lined with self-help/self-improvement books and programs. I could probably start a small library! But [...]

“However confused the scene of our life appears, however torn we may be who now do face that scene, it can be faced, and we can go on to be whole.” ~ Muriel Rukeyser
“We can expect to feel fear, even dread at some points in our lives. We will always have situations that, for [...]

The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark [...]

When you’ve gone through a holiday season and KNOW you’ve eaten way too much sugar, you might think you should do a sugar detox. It sounds like a great idea, especially if health and well being are among your top values. But I encourage you to think long and hard about that decision! [...]

Being really sick for over two weeks has actually been a blessing of sorts. Lots of down time, giving me plenty of time for reflection, prayer, writing.  Being “out of it” seemed to mean being open to other than the status quo, being more open to possibility.
I’ve always been great at envisioning wonderful [...]

I really do love the idea of celebrating the birth of Jesus.  I love Christmas trees and lights.  The shiny and sparkly and twinkly.  Lights up my inner three year old!  And she loves it!!
And back to the celebrating the birth of Jesus.  I love Jesus.  Always have, even, or maybe especially, as a little [...]

What would it be like to say “yes” to what you know to be true about you? What if you could say ‘yes’ to the things that you know are truly your gifts, or the steps that you know are yours to take?
This is such an exciting time to be living in! The world is [...]

On Twitter this morning, @davecarpenter was talking about not letting anyone rain on his parade.  As I read his tweets, I thought to myself that’s true for me, too!  I don’t have to let anyone else rain on my parade!  For better or worse, then, I started singing “Don’t Rain on my Parade,” fancying myself [...]

Dear Lord, sometimes loving him is just so hard!  Those times when I’m wondering why I’m in this relationship.   Is love enough to keep this alive? How low will I let my codependency take me?  On the other hand, isn’t he one of my very best teachers?
We were really fortunate when we found a counselor [...]

The universal human yearning (is) for something permanent,
enduring, without shadow of change. ~ Willa Cather
The specter of change builds dread in most of us. We fear the effects on our personal lives. We lack faith that the impending change will benefit us. Only time can assure us of that. And it will, just as every [...]