It must be the time of year….coming out of winter and into spring, the time of blossoming new life, that makes me realize I’ve taken too much “on my plate AGAIN.” And I don’t mean food. I looked back and realized I wrote about this last spring too. So I’m seeing a pattern here. Perhaps you observe a similar pattern in yourself.… Read More
With Courage and Determination. The events of Marathon Monday brought a little too close to home how vulnerable we really are. Before last week we could say “not here” with some measure of confidence. We could say “oh my God, we need to pray for those people in New York, Columbine, Newtown, “ etc.… Read More
Do you have a plan for starting each day? Do you just wake up and do what you did yesterday, or what you think you have to do this day? Even there are things you have to do each day, how you prepare for and enter the day can make a big difference. How you start your day matters.… Read More
I confess that this message is a tweaked-repeat from just after Easter last year. Last Easter Sunday’s service so moved me that I shared about it in this column. I share it here BEFORE Easter this year inviting any of you to join us if you like, in celebration of the Risen Christ.… Read More
I’m hearing the howling winds outside as I write this article hoping the power stays on until I get it off to the editor. As we move through the third significant storm in 30 days I’m hoping I’ve learned to “be prepared.” I’m reminded of a conversation with my son in the days following hurricane Sandy. He’s a firefighter/paramedic and was telling me how on the on the day before Hurricane Sandy was due to hit this area, he and his co-worker were in the grocery store to get food they planned for their meals during their 24 hours shift. He said it was chaos in there as people were grabbing what they might need should the power go out.… Read More
“Music has charms to soothe a savage beast” is a familiar phrase which dates back to 1697 as part of a play entitled The mourning bride by the poet William Congreve. I cannot couch for the beast, but music does soothe my soul.… Read More
Happy Valentine’s Day! This Valentine’s Day I want to suggest being your own valentine. About the importance of loving yourself, Siddhartha Guatama Buddha, considered the supreme Buddha (enlightened one) of our age said: “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere.… Read More
It’s a couple of weeks after the fact, but I want to shout out kudos to all the police and fire personnel that helped with the “swamp rescue,” of three teens in Norwell on New Year’s Day, AND to police officers and firefighters for ALL that they do throughout the year that many times goes unrecognized. They are truly unsung heroes.… Read More
I’m writing this column on the day after Christmas, and wondering if anyone else is feeling the way I am? Christmas was wonderful and difficult all at the same time. Anybody else feel that way? I spent the morning with my daughter and her new husband, and it was wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable.… Read More
Here we are, “bearing down” on Christmas. The metaphor seemed well suited as it came to mind. “Bearing down” is commonly thought of as “closing in on.” That fits…Christmas is just a few days away. The concept of “bearing down” as in child birth refers to the natural or intentional urge to push; to birth the baby. An appropriate metaphor for a season in which we are focused, if we have not entirely lost sight of the spiritual, historical meaning of Christmas, on the birth of a child who would ultimately influence the world more than any other single individual in history. Whether you are a believer in Christ or not, the fact that more than two billion people, claim to be Christians, and hundreds of millions more recognize Jesus as a prophet, it is clear that His teachings have indeed had an extraordinary influence on mankind.… Read More
