Revelation: Something revealed or disclosed, especially a striking disclosure. In no particular order… 1. There is a huge difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. 2. Endurance can be an idol. 3. The ego hates losing, even to God. 4. There are few in our religious culture who understand the necessity of mature internalized conscience, so wise guides are almost impossible…

When the time was over, why, there was praise galore For the politicians who were in the church But for ministers things were not so grand And it’s not so hard to understand [Refrain:] What can you do with a minister When he stops being a minister? Oh, what can you do with a minister…

Ah, our childhood days. Magic, purity, simplicity and prepubescent life. My fondest memories were of Christmas morning and waking up to discover what Santa had brought this naughty, ahem, nice young boy. Some of my favorite gifts back in the turbulent nineteen sixties were Lionel train sets, play gas stations, Hot Wheels, Tonka dump trucks, and…

In the first half of life, we are naturally and rightly preoccupied with establishing our identity—climbing, achieving, and performing. But those concerns will not serve us as we grow older and begin to embark on a further journey, one that involves challenges, mistakes, loss of control, broader horizons, and necessary suffering that actually shocks us…

I love to read. It is food for my soul. This year my books are dominated with therapeutic and psychological themes. Imagine that. Here is a list of my top ten books of 2012. These are books I read this year, not necessarily books that were published in 2012. 1. The Master and His Emissary—This…

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in hospice care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called The Top Five Regrets of the…

Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are… One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. —”M”…

Serves 2 Peanut Dressing: 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped green onions 1 tablespoon reduced-fat peanut butter 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (ground fresh chile paste) 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons dry-roasted peanuts Salad: 2…

These words by Sir Walter Scott, one of my dearest and most loved authors, raise a fascinating discussion…and my own scattered thoughts that follow. Why do we have such deficits in our emotional receptivity? Why do we not truly get to know those charming faces? Why do we tend to read people’s mouths and bodies…

Who listens to you? Who really listens? Who strains to hear your soul whispers? Being listened to means we are taken seriously, that our ideas and feelings are known, and ultimately it means that what we have to say matters. The essence of good listening is empathy, which can be achieved only by suspending our…

Personal note: After almost ten years of well-intentioned, but misguided and untrained (read unlicensed) “Christian” counseling, I found myself sitting alone and numb in a coffee shop in downtown Austin last August. Scarcely able to decipher the events of the past five years, all I knew was that I had deeply wounded my family, friends—and…

Today features a live video interview with Susan Fontaine-Godwin of CopyrightSolver.com and THREE giveaways. This innovative company provides invaluable help for the independent artist, church and company for copyright FAQ’s, licenses and administration of copyright payments for your intellectual property. Gone are the days of an expensive attorney for help with your song  copyright administration….