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Dreaming of a Spring awakening
This winter has been sluggish. I always struggle in the grey, dark days to find meaning and purpose. I get up and read. Slowly going through the motions of the day, I long to be outside and for sunshine. It is hard to be motivated when hibernation seems the best option. And so I dream.…
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Relationships and the Common Good
To be human is to be in relationship. All that we are, all that we think, all that we do has been shaped by our interactions with other people. Neuroscience confirms that the pathways in our brain are wired by interactions with others. Happiness is linked to personal interactions that produce endorphins. It is no…
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Hibernation
The cold fingers of winter creep up on you. Wrapped in the post holiday glow, you don’t notice it at first. Still full and warm, you snuggle into a comfortable lull. At first it seems cozy. Contentment radiates, until one day you decide to pack away the decorations. The house looks clean and bright. You…
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Confessions of an Extroverted Introvert
Sometimes it just seems too “peoply” out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love people. I enjoy extended time with friends and families. I love going to work and encountering new individuals of all ages. But I am an extroverted introvert. There is something in me that screams for alone time. If I am in…
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Decoration Day
My grandma always called Memorial Day by its old name…decoration day. It was a day set aside to decorate the graves of soldiers with flowers and to honor their memories. Eventually, decoration day became Memorial Day. She was adamant about honoring family with artificial flowers. My decoration day celebration, however, is always the 48 hours…
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Thanksgiving
The leaves have turned. The air has turned colder. The days are shorter. There is an urgency to make the most of any weather that permits outdoor living. Winter is coming. It is the time of year that family negotiations begin. Where shall we meet? How many will come? Who will bring food? The coordination…
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The Mother Road: Travel Goals
Standing under the sign that signals the beginning (or the end) of Route 66 on Santa Monica Pier, I feel the excitement and anticipation that a great road trip always brings. We are in Los Angeles to help my our daughter and son in law make a cross country move to Chicago. So for the…
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Nature’s Cathedral: Travel Goals
There is something magical about authentic encounters in nature. I am never more aware of God and moved to worship than when I am surrounded by the natural world. Walking in the early morning woods while the dew is still heavy on the leaves. Watching a deer silently follow me along the trail. Viewing the…
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The agony and ecstasy of air travel: Travel Goals
I have a love hate relationship with airlines. I love to travel. There is nothing that can beat the feeling of being on a jet that is taking off and knowing that your next stop will be halfway around the world. I love having the time to watch multiple movies that I somehow never got…
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Friends Old and New
I am sitting in my pajamas after just talking to a friend on the other side of the world. In seconds, we were connected and speaking as if we were sitting right next to each other. A pleasant conversation to end her day and to begin mine. Meanwhile, I received a social media text from…
Prisoner of Hopes: a blog about Hopeful Living and Finding Adventure in the Everyday Things of Life
Prisoner of Hopes 