Discernment is a word we hear often, in religious circles, in the context of making wise, just and well-thought-out decisions. For example, “We should use discernment in choosing who will teach our children in Sunday School”. The implication is that we should not pick the first person who is willing to do the job, but…
A dictionary definition of commitment is, “the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity or relationship”. It is a promise to dedicate ourselves to fulfilling an obligation in the future or for life (from this day forward). It requires self-discipline, resilience and persistence. It is a promise, to do our very best…
A challenge, is often something new and difficult which requires great effort and determination, or a situation that takes a great deal of thought and effort to resolve or overcome. There are many other kinds of challenges such as sporting events or other kinds of contests that we enter into to show strength, endurance and…
Beauty can be described as a feature of objects, music, works of art or scenes in nature that make them pleasurable to look at, to hear or otherwise perceive. Scenes include landscapes, sunsets, humans and works of art. Beauty, together with art and taste, is the main subject of aesthetics, a branch of philosophy. The…
A transformation is a dramatic change in form or appearance. It can also be an important event like getting married, which might change a woman’s name and represent a change in status, from Miss or Ms. to Mrs. and can signify a change in where and how she will live. Important events like getting our…
I have a silly game I play when someone says with glee, “Did you see? The price of gas went down.” I say, “Yes I know, I filled my car just before it changed so I am claiming credit for the drop in price.” I also say the opposite when the price goes up, I…
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Alice Walker When we think we have no power to change things, we want to pull up the covers and escape into sleep. Maintaining control over our lives requires that we make a conscious choice to take back our…
Restoration is the process of returning something or someone to a former state of being or condition or to return a piece of property to its previous owner. For example, when we go into the hospital for a health issue, we hope to return home in much better condition than we were when we went…
Looking at something from a certain point of view changes what we see. The same is true if we think from a certain point of view. The vantage point from which we see a situation also changes how we perceive it. We call that psychological perspective. The best example I have seen to illustrate this…
We all face situations that try our patience: the kids are climbing the walls, we’re stuck on hold with customer service, or the line at the grocery store is long and you need to get home. When times are hard, it’s even more difficult to persevere with a patient attitude. Sometimes we need to take…