“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.”
–Maya Angelou, American poet and author

First, my annual list of some of the things for which I’m thankful. Then, a few thoughts on gratitude.

During this Thanksgiving week, I’m particularly thankful for:

• My faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Without faith, I’ve got nothing.

• Family, both mine and my church family.

• A strong marriage.

• Being born in the USA. I’m one of the millions of […]

“I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I can’t change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.”
–Charles de Lint, Canadian author

As I write this, my town is in the midst of its third day of rain–nothing heavy, mind you, but nearly always present, […]

“In the silence of the heart, God speaks.”
–Mother Teresa

On my runs (a word I use liberally), I frequently encounter folks out for a walk who don’t respond when I say “Hi” or if I wave. Typically, they’re using ear buds or wearing head phones, seemingly oblivious to what’s going on around them. Perhaps they’re making a statement that they’d prefer not to be bothered.

You might say, “Well, they’re listening to music, or a podcast, or maybe even an audiobook or […]

“Don’t leave anything for later. Later, the coffee gets cold. Later, you lose interest. Later, the day turns into night. Later, people grow up. Later, people grow old. Later, life goes by. Later, you regret not doing something . . . when you had the chance.”
–Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Japanese author

In my day, the cartoon “Popeye” also featured Wimpy, Popeye’s buddy who loved hamburgers. His famous line was, “I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” It was a dig […]