For over 30 years I’ve worked in customer service. It’s been amazing to me how corporations expect excellent customer service. The expectation is for the representative to… Read more “Expecting Excellence- Receiving Mediocre”
Legends and Halloween
I stepped out earlier and felt the crispness in the air. The humidity had vanished and all that remained was the singing of the fall. The leaves… Read more “Legends and Halloween”
The Voice Within – No Labels
I remember sitting at a local coffee shop and noticing a woman who had a long, lost look on her face. She appeared to be about middle… Read more “The Voice Within – No Labels”
Stand Tall
This world has a way of knocking us all on our tushes sometimes. Some days we question if we are good enough or unique enough to stand… Read more “Stand Tall”
Don’t Forget To Smile
Smiles light up a room. I’ve often heard that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile but smiling makes people feel welcomed. There’s… Read more “Don’t Forget To Smile”
Personal Touches Matter
What does it mean to have a personal touch? No, I’m not referring to intimacy with a partner. That should be a given but when it comes… Read more “Personal Touches Matter”
Having Courage Gives New Strength
It’s the little things that can cause us to find the bigger avenues in our lives. Sometimes it may be that you enjoy a specific hobby and… Read more “Having Courage Gives New Strength”
When Cutting Ties Changes You
One of the most difficult transitions we make in our lives is to let go of the past. We may be letting go of a friendship, a… Read more “When Cutting Ties Changes You”
Fall Flavors and Thoughts
I am always excited for Friday. It’s the last day of the workweek and the start of the weekend. The best part is I get to spend… Read more “Fall Flavors and Thoughts”
Puzzles Can Help Put Our Lives Back Together
I love to put puzzles together. For one thing, it helps me to clear my mind and organize a lot of scrambled messes and turn it into… Read more “Puzzles Can Help Put Our Lives Back Together”
Seasons of Change
I love the fall. It allows nature to paint with a mastery of colors as the leaves fall from the trees. There’s a calmness in the wind… Read more “Seasons of Change”
The Pandemic and Entertainment
I know I’m not the only one who would love this pandemic to end. I’m a sports enthusiast. I love college football, basketball, baseball, soccer, can tolerate… Read more “The Pandemic and Entertainment”
Memories of Mark
There are always people in our lives that leave strong imprints. In my case, it was my father, Mark. The man was as close to a saint… Read more “Memories of Mark”
Conserving With Solar
This has been one of the best experiences of my life. My mom and I converted to solar energy a while back. It has saved us a… Read more “Conserving With Solar”
We’re All Diamonds in the Rough
I love music. It calms me, propels, and energizes and me and allows me to have a rhythm in my step to help me get through the… Read more “We’re All Diamonds in the Rough”
For Johnny
I’m haunted by the ghost of a man I’ve never met but am told that I’m distantly related to. His name was Johnny Fowler and he died… Read more “For Johnny”
Common Sense Shouldn’t Be Difficult
I’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating. I work as a manager for a storage facility. I truly love my job but there are some satirical… Read more “Common Sense Shouldn’t Be Difficult”
Make a Difference and Leave an Impression
There are so many folks from my past that help shape my future every day. From the woman who was in charge of the daycare, I attended… Read more “Make a Difference and Leave an Impression”
Never Underestimate the Underdog
This is sad that people have to be reminded of this but it’s true. The underdog may appear to be an underachiever at first, but when they… Read more “Never Underestimate the Underdog”
When Faith in Everything is Tested
All my life I have had a belief that there is a God. I’ve believed that people were generally good at heart and I’ve also believed in… Read more “When Faith in Everything is Tested”
When Being Childless Feels Empty
I get told all the time that someday I’ll have the family that I crave. I’ve given up on that dream. Family doesn’t always mean children in… Read more “When Being Childless Feels Empty”
Trust Yourself
If you are like most people, you’ve had incidents in your life that you trusted someone completely only to have that trust shattered. You probably thought they… Read more “Trust Yourself”
Don’t Just Say “No” to Opportunity
This is an area that I struggle with. Why? Because I’ve been conditioned to add more to my plate than I can handle. As I’ve learned to… Read more “Don’t Just Say “No” to Opportunity”
When What’s Unsaid is Heard Differently
Have any of you ever not known what to say to someone because anything that you say or do is going to be construed in a manner… Read more “When What’s Unsaid is Heard Differently”
Scammers are Either Really Brave or Really Dumb
Yesterday, I woke up to a startling surprise. A scammer tried to have $525 sent to him through an account that I never use, a card that… Read more “Scammers are Either Really Brave or Really Dumb”
Love Remembers Even When We Forget
Kind gestures are a symbol of love. I think that so much of the time we forget that our actions affect others. We can go through the… Read more “Love Remembers Even When We Forget”
Priority Shifts
I can only speak for myself but this pandemic has caused virtually every one of my priorities to shift. I always used to focus on deadlines and… Read more “Priority Shifts”
Finding the Lost
Are any of you prone to losing things? I lose my keys and phone all the time. I get a million things running through my mind and… Read more “Finding the Lost”
Light Your Spark
Someone recently said to me that we have to light the spark within us to get us motivated. I agree. But sometimes we get a spark lit… Read more “Light Your Spark”
Step Into New Worlds
What’s it really like to step into someone else’s world? If we all took a moment to see the world through each other’s eyes, we might be… Read more “Step Into New Worlds”
When We Have Our Second Act
So many of us have had stepping stones in our lives. We’ve had to learn to lean on others when we are lost. Many of us don’t… Read more “When We Have Our Second Act”
Priceless Moments
We all have those moments in our lives that we often wish we could freeze time over. When we’re little, we always wish to be bigger or… Read more “Priceless Moments”
Catch That Feeling
We all have the feeling of bliss at various times in our lives. It becomes infectious. It’s kind of like when you taste food for the first… Read more “Catch That Feeling”
Not Forgotten
This morning is a bittersweet reminder of the Twin Tower, Pentagon, and a field in Stoney Creek, Townsend Pennsylvania changed the history of our security forever. Many… Read more “Not Forgotten”
The Silent Voice
There’s power in words. Sometimes we say more when we don’t say anything. Then other times we feel better just getting everything off of our chest. It… Read more “The Silent Voice”
Embarrasing Stories Make For Great Learning
How many times can I put my foot in my mouth? A lot. I can throw out a quip at the worst times and not realize what… Read more “Embarrasing Stories Make For Great Learning”
Playtime Isn’t Just for Kids
In the world of adults, the word playtime isn’t used because it’s socially uncool. But, let’s think about this for a moment. We push ourselves every day… Read more “Playtime Isn’t Just for Kids”
Labor Day Thoughts
The first Monday in September has Labor Day rolling around once again. It’s a holiday that many of us look forward to just to get a break… Read more “Labor Day Thoughts”
Here We Are
Over the course of the last few years, I have watched people in our congregation, friends that were once close become estranged, families divide, and people drift… Read more “Here We Are”
Stress
Stress. We all know that it can kill. We all tend to stress about various issues. For some of us, the holidays are super stressful. There’s even… Read more “Stress”
Mountains
When I was a kid, I used to love to listen to the Sound of Music. I watched the movie so many times that the scenes of… Read more “Mountains”
Learning New Languages and Why It’s Important
Ok I admit it. I binge watch a lot of Asian shows. Why? Because I’m very curious about their languages. It’s beautiful to me how they write… Read more “Learning New Languages and Why It’s Important”
Personal Responsibility
What does it really mean to be personally responsible for your actions? I ask this only because to me, we are responsible for what we say and… Read more “Personal Responsibility”
Alien Invasions Part 2
As the exercises kept pushing me to capabilities I never knew I had, I found that my memory was picking up other things too. The fact that… Read more “Alien Invasions Part 2”
Alien Invasions of Dreams Part 1
I think I must have had one of the strangest and coolest dreams that I’ve ever had. It’s one of the dreams that you can see the… Read more “Alien Invasions of Dreams Part 1”
When Sexual Assault Takes Away Your Voice
How many of you have been sexually assaulted in your lifetime? I’ll wait. I have a feeling a vast majority of you have experienced some form of… Read more “When Sexual Assault Takes Away Your Voice”
Educate Yourself with Your Health
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past few decades, it’s that you have to keep a monitor on your health. Research everything. Don’t just… Read more “Educate Yourself with Your Health”
Rainy Days and Mondays Won’t Get Me Down
Growing up, I remember hearing the Carpenters singing “Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down.” It was actually one of my favorite songs because it reiterated… Read more “Rainy Days and Mondays Won’t Get Me Down”
Ken’s Journey
Most of us have someone in our lives who inspires our faith, and instills a great sense of friendship. Sometimes we are even blessed enough to have… Read more “Ken’s Journey”
Be Yourself
Have you ever tried to fit in with a certain group because you didn’t want to feel alone or uncool? What changes did you make within yourself… Read more “Be Yourself”
