It takes courage to speak your truth. In childhood we are often taught to be seen and not heard, to be obedient and good little children.  In recent days, I’ve had several conversations with friends about these residual patterns of belief and behavior that live on even though we are adults.  It is absolutely amazing [...]

A two year old child gasps in wonder as she spots a leaf in a spider web. She points to it as grandpa helps her retrieve it. She holds it up to the light and then puts it gently back on the spider web. In this moment, these two share a sense of wonder and [...]

Picture this scene.  Three young children are playing in the front yard with Dad sitting in a chair watching them. Two of them are playing an outside game with balls and the other one is riding the bike up and down the sidewalk.  Dad often walks along beside the bike riders as they are allowed [...]

Sometimes we get our priorities mixed up. We get caught up in the importance of the trappings of the world —- money, status, material things or culture.  When this happens they rise to the top of the heap in importance.  Then for some of us, our own self-importance or ego is the highest priority.  In [...]

Last Sunday in the early evening we were driving home from St. Louis.  As we got in the car to leave I noticed the bank of clouds to the West.  It wasn’t long before we drove into a terrific storm.  The rain was coming down so hard that the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up, even [...]

I was reading an article by Ross Bishop on “Giving Love” and he made some good points on this most special, wanted and painful of all feelings. We’ve all felt as if our hearts have been broken into tiny pieces.  We can feel crushed, beaten and bruised when we‘re hurt.  However, when we love and [...]

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, [...]

“I’m a work in progress.”  This remark struck a cord with me as it was spoken by a very bright young man who has had his share of ups and downs in life.  It was a very insightful and honest statement from a person I have learned to respect.  He spoke a great truth for [...]

We often get involved —- way too involved —- in taking care of everything and everyone, controlling situations so they unfold exactly as we think they should play out, or fixing not only our lives, but the lives of everyone around us.  There are times when giving and caring is the right thing to do. [...]

The phrase, “TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE” is often heard. People talk about wanting to in some way make life better, help or improve the way we live. For many people this is an everyday habit that they don’t even think about.  It is a way of life.

Its graduation time and many people are completing a college degree or a high school diploma.  This calls for a celebration!  The journey has been long, with both highs and lows, lots of work and also fun. I made it —– THIS IS MY BIG DAY! Congratulations on your accomplishments!

Do you know what a tuxedo cat is? It is a black cat with a white neck and chest – as if it had on a tuxedo. They look very dignified and formal. One of these cats has made his home with us.  Last winter in the worst snow and cold, I observed him wandering [...]

How do you define fun? Is it something that is only playtime and does not involve your job or some kind of work?  Or, is it something that you simply enjoy, regardless of whether it is you are getting paid to do it, have to do it, or is a chore that will make life [...]

I’ve heard numerous stories and had several conversations in the last few days about –“TO BE OR NOT TO BE.” This famous question originally came from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  However it was interpreted in that famous play, it has a very definite application to our lives today. Seems that we are so busy racing around and [...]

Did you ever work and work to accomplish a goal, maintain a relationship, or build a team?  Did you ever want something so bad that you would do anything to make it happen?  Sometimes things fall in place and you get exactly what you wanted. At other times, you work, try, push and negotiate and [...]

It is Spring – time for washing windows, cleaning the hidey holes in the house of their secret treasures as well as clearing the yard of dried up foliage. Emptying means stripping away what we don’t need or want any more. It means de-cluttering as we do in spring cleaning or when we gather articles [...]

Have you ever found yourself running in opposite directions – toward someone and at the same time away from them?   Many people want real, honest, loving, committed relationships, but are terrified of really having them. They feel that they have opened their heart and it was broken. They never want to hurt that bad again, [...]

Not long ago I was angry and someone said to me “That’s not I.M. Heart!”  My response was, “Oh, yes it is!”  What that person didn’t understand is that I.M. Heart is all feelings — those that are warm, loving and happy as well as those that are angry, hurt and sad.  I.M. Heart is [...]

The word FAMILY has many meetings. I’ve heard people define it as just those with whom they share a blood line.  For others it is expanded to include people in their church, community and work, who are not blood kin.  Others define family as a select group of people, not related by blood, that form [...]

Mary Jo nurtures everyone.  Whenever a member of the family has a problem, they call Mary Jo.  The family includes children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and even members of the church family.  With each call, she gives wise and sage advice and solves or fixes the problem.  People wander in and out [...]