Many of us find our identity in what we do. But what happens when our career comes to an abrupt end? What happens when that job is no longer there? Are we still ourselves? Does our identity change? This video is riveting…

I saw these words on a video title by Will Smith about fatherhood on Facebook today and they literally grabbed me by the, uh…neck. During my personal struggles this past year, I have been emotionally overwhelmed by the absence of the thousands of people I have spent my life helping succeed. My weekly visits to…

Here are 10 things that “normal” people are not supposed to do. How they happened is beyond me. Maybe that’s why my life is still filled with magic. And if things like this can happen to a kid who grew up in the poverty of the Appalachians, they can happen to YOU! Assisted a cardiologist…

I vanished while exploring a remote Florida swamp a few days ago—or was it a few minutes ago? It seemed to swallow my reality and identity as I plunged deeper and deeper into her boggy moistness. And this was no bad thing. As the shadows grew longer and the trail fainter, I realized there was…

When we say “we seek the ultimate truth,” we are really saying that we seek to know the full extent of how all of our relationships fit together in the grand scheme. Our search of the truth is the search for how we belong to the larger picture and why. The truth of our existence…

Fantasy is something we do by ourselves. Play, however, is an activity we engage in with others. As adults living in a sexualized Western civilization, we fantasize often, but how long has it been since you played? Let’s take a look at benefits of adult play. — Play is inherently open and accepting.  Although there…

Shame kills. Guilt and shame are often thought of interchangeably, when in fact they are quite different. Guilt can trigger the desire to reach out and make amends, while shame makes a person feel worthless and inhuman. To be shamed is to be rejected. Shame is a way of isolating a person from the “collective…

A New Day 27″ x 37″ Unframed Original Watercolor on Arches Handmade Paper $850. Special prices on prints also available: 8.5″ x 11″ $85. $35. 11″ x 14″ $95. $45. plus S&H $4.95 (Other print sizes available on request) Perfect for bedroom or bath. Options Original 27" x 37" $850.00 USDPrint 8.5" x 11" $35.00 USDPrint 11" x 14"…

My Vietnamese Chicken Pho (pronounced fu—as in, well, you know) Ingredients 4 ounces dry Thai Rice noodles 6 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons fish sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root 1 tablespoon minced lemon grass 5 green onions, chopped 2 breasts thinly sliced on bias cooked chicken 1 cup bean…

In no particular order… 1. Super 8 — This movie was magical and grabbed me on many levels. An instant classic! 2. Midnight in Paris — Woody Allen’s finest movie and Owen Wilson’s finest performance. This movie is now in my top 5 all-time!! I was spellbound and it transcended time and space. 3. Moneyball —…

In no particular order, here are the books that have changed my life. I bet you have never heard of at least 8 of them. Because I know about them doesn’t make me smarter than you, but it does mean I have some really well-read friends who have introduced them to me. I commend them…

Father eternal, giver of light and grace, I have sinned against you and against my neighbors, in what I have thought, in what I have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through my own deliberate fault. I have wounded your love, and marred your image in me. I am sorry and ashamed, and repent…

Why have we come to think of life in such dire terms? The answer is that stories of mistakes and failure surprise us. They are unexpected, and therefore, trigger alarm and heighten our interest. It is a bleak commentary that of all the good content on this blog, the most read and “googled” post is…

10. If I Die Young — The Band Perry 9. You and I — Lady Gaga 8. Good Life — OneRepublic 7. For The First Time — The Script 6. Dog Days Are Over — Florence and the Machine 5. Down By the Water — The Decemberists 4. Lotus Flower — Radiohead 3. Gold On…

 Here are my Top Ten wines from 2011 under $20. 1. Meiomi Pinot Noir — $17.99 2. Cline Zinfandel — $12 3. Chateau Marjosse Bordeaux — $9.99 4. Menage a Trois — $7.99 5. Earthstone Merlot —  $9.99 6. Heavyweight Red — $11.99 7. Marramiero Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Dama — $11.99 8. Pine Ridge 2008 Chenin Blanc-Viognier — $12….

Dagny Taggart — Atlas Shrugged (Between The Pages Series) Original Watercolor 12″ x 16″ $550. Mixed Media Watercolor & Actual pages from the Centennial edition of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged Special prices on prints also available: 8.5″ x 11″ $85. $35. 11″ x 14″ $95. $45. plus S&H $4.95 (Other print sizes available on request)…

Anna Karenina  (Between The Pages Series) Original Watercolor 12″ x 16″ $550. Special prices on prints also available: 8.5″ x 11″ $85. $35. 11″ x 14″ $95. $45. plus S&H $4.95 (Other print sizes available on request) Options Original Watercolor 12" x 16" $550.00 USD8.5" x 11" Print $35.00 USD11" x 14" Print $45.00 USD

Either publicly or privately we will all eventually crash and burn. It is an unfortunate and jarring fact of life. Even Superman had kryptonite. But will we survive it? I write this post hesitantly because I’m still in the throes of my own “crash and burn.” But each morning I somehow slowly and painfully get…

I will never forget tasting a fish taco for the very first time in San Diego. My life was changed forever. Here is how to make (what I think is) the perfect fish taco fast (under 30 min) and cheap (under 2 bucks each.) Serves 4 Start to finish: 30 minutes Ingredients: Fish: Kikkoman Panko…