As Gina, Remy and I made the twelve-hour drive to our Florida beach cottage from our Tennessee country estate, we listened to an audiobook How Democracies Die: What History Reveals About Our Future by Steven Levitsky. This book shook both of us to the core. As we crossed the Florida line the guilt I felt for abdicating…

A few weeks ago I received a text from my brother Terry that said, “I just found out your old friend Billy Ray Cyrus has a number one song. Bet he is happy.” Billy Ray is around the same age as my brother and me. To be honest, I had forgotten about the text until…

Love Stories are not true. They are more than true. Not because they tell us that loneliness exists, but because they tell us that loneliness can be defeated. Here are a few of the many reasons I pay tribute to Gina on her birthday.   —She is far more than the bright sparkling creature I…

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 33 seconds. The American Ant language no longer had words, truths, or laws in which American Worker Ants or the Red Ant Leaders were interested. It was no longer possible to ask them whether they believed in Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness—and it was also unacceptable for the…

The Loss of Belonging: Ten Steps To A New (and Better) Tribe is a well-researched and thought-provoking book. It is organized, relatable, and comes from a genuine heart. It addressed several areas of my life.   The book speaks of the inherent need we all have for a tribe, and how much healthier we are…

To enter, simply: 1) Buy the book (Kindle, Paperback, or Audiobook) on May 1st, 2) Leave a comment on this post 3) Be prepared to show receipt if your name is drawn.

Fire Ceremony Today we hold a fire ceremony. Fire is a fascinating and mesmerizing event, it is not a thing. Fire is an event. It is multi-sensory. You can feel it, hear it, smell it, and if you dare—touch it. It provides warmth, beauty, and light. We can use it to cook our foods, to sit…

Various Mandalas on Pinterest Mandala Gallery The Mandala Project

In order

Psychology Today Attachment Style Free Online Assessment Mandala Templates Mandalas Fire Ceremony

1 https://www.patheos.com/blogs/formerlyfundie/christian-ghosting-destructive-christian-practice-dont-talk 2 https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/transcendentalism/authors/emerson/essays/compensation.html 3 https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shawshank_redemption/quotes 4 Hebrew Bible, Matthew 22:35-40 (NIV) 5 https://dailypoetry.me/rilke/so-we-live 6 https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/alfred_lord_tennyson_153702 7 HELPGUIDE.ORG Coping with Grief and Loss. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdcs/griefloss.htm_617933_7.pdf 8 Ibid 9 Emotional Survival of First Responders. http://www.washingtonfirechiefs.com/Resources/JobAnnouncements/TabId/2329/ArtMID/7730/ArticleID/30136/Emotional-Survival-of-First-Responders.aspx 10 HELPGUIDE.ORG Coping with Grief and Loss. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdcs/griefloss.htm_617933_7.pdf 11 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-hostos-childdevelopment/chapter/relationships-and-families-in-adulthood/ 12 Bains, Rupinder. “No Right or Wrong Way to Cope with Grief…

  Next Influencer’s Dinner August 24, 2019  To recommend someone click HERE. Tonight’s Dinner Cocktails/Mocktails Team  Step 1 Announce to our guests that tonight we are offering Maple Manhattans (whiskey), French Martinis (vodka), or a Ginger Beer (non-alcoholic) Mocktail. Step 2 Take Cocktail/Mocktail Orders from each guest. Step 3 Make Cocktails/Mocktails Maple Manhattan Add: Ice…

“The fundamental element that defines the quality of our lives is the people we surround ourselves with and the conversations we have with them.” Over the past twenty years, Randy Elrod has dedicated himself to connecting cultural influencers. In 1999 he founded the re:Create Conference, an invitation-only international community of creatives and influencers that met annually…

I naively believed I could divert the Trump machine from its goal, the simultaneous lobotomization and pickpocketing of his base. With his ancillary purposes of strip-mining the future — forgoing a hopeful tomorrow for the coal-mines of yesterday — and doling out little heaps of nationalistic horror for his worshipers to stoke their fires. Trump…

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes and 46 seconds. I see Spring everywhere. Especially in the Tennessee Mountains. She’s bustin’ out all over. Let me attempt to help you savor her too. And to encourage you not to be a secret voyuer. Plunge into her and engage with all your being and with all your senses….

5 out of 5 stars Estimated reading time: Less than 3 minutes. The following quote sets the context for this remarkable book. “It is a point of urgency for Americans to understand what the FBI really does, and why it matters so that the citizens of this country can join together for the common good….

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes, 24 seconds. On a pivotal day in June 2011, I lost over 10,000 of my Christian family, friends, and peers. In one day. My social networks and the Arts conference which provided my income became a barren wasteland. What had once felt like a stalwart tribe of people — left me…

So thrilled to announce the Kindle version of my latest book is now available for pre-order for a limited time for only $9.99. That is a 33% ($5.00) savings. #ABetterTribe #LossOfBelonging #Amazon Click HERE to pre-order.

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 13 seconds.   In the Moral Ethic I am describing, man’s obligation is in the straight and narrow; his duty is not so much to the world in a broad sense but to those within the actual, physical walls of the church about him, and the idea that of backsliding from…