According to Wikipedia, “loyalty is a devotion to a country, philosophy, group, or person. Loyalty implies a faithfulness that is steadfast in the face of any temptation to renounce, desert, or betray.” When we say the pledge of allegiance to the flag, we are pledging our loyalty to the United States of America. We are promising…
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy recently sounded the alarm on a growing health crisis in America: loneliness. He compared the effects of loneliness to smoking15 cigarettes a day, linking it to cardiovascular disease, dementia, stokes, depression and anxiety. One of the factors he blamed it on, is the rise of technology. As we spend more and…
There has been a long debate, among church leaders, whether humor belongs in the pulpit. A handout I received at the Advanced Preaching course I took said, “Remember, you are not there to entertain them.” That might be good advice, since it is easy to go overboard and turn a serious topic into a farcical…
“Honesty or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc. Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair, and sincere.” Wikipedia I have touched on some of the same attributes of character and integrity in other essays, but…
There are five main types of growth and development: physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual. When our children are babies, there are certain milestones that we can watch for, such as weight gain, being able to hold their heads up, rolling over, sitting up unaided and so forth. When they are older, we don’t have those…
Most people are familiar with the children’s books about Curious George and the saying “Curiosity killed the cat.” Both, imply that curiosity can get you into trouble. For that reason, as well of some of the reactions from exasperated teachers, when my son asked too many questions, he did not like to be labeled “curious”. …
Beauty can be described as a positive characteristic of a person, animal, place, or thing that can be seen or felt as pleasurable, meaningful or satisfying. It usually refers to something observable but can also be perceived emotionally as a beautiful idea or awesome phenomenon. Something beautiful is almost always experienced as a positive…
When we think of achievements, we usually think of something accomplished, especially by superior ability, special effort, great courage, with great or heroic deeds. But there are simple accomplishments that we achieve every day that we don’t always give ourselves, or others, full credit for. We care for our pets, our children, our homes, our…
Inner harmony is a feeling of peace of mind derived from self-acceptance, acceptance of the people and circumstances around us, and acceptance of the past. Generally, inner harmony is a form of happiness that exists when we achieve a sense of peace that goes beyond satisfaction, contentment, comfort and security to utter exhilaration. When our…
Ethics are the set of moral principles that guide a person’s behavior. These morals are shaped by social norms, cultural practices, and religious influences. Ethics reflect beliefs about what is right and what is wrong, what is just and what is unjust, what is good and what is bad in terms of human behavior. Wikipedia Dec.…