My living China Doll
When I was a child, we lived near an apartment complex housing college students. At the end of the school year, the students would give away or sell cheaply whatever they... »
Personal Accounts
Forming new habits
The month of January, when the new year is celebrated in most of the world, is named after the Roman god Janus. Because he had two faces, he could look back on the past y... »
Perfectly imperfect
I went to the Farmer’s Market this morning and was so pleased to find a good deal on some organic produce. When I got home and pulled the tomatoes out of the bag, however... »
The journey to simplicity
The other day I was listening to a Christian radio program on the way to the gym. Each day they ask a question for their listeners to respond to, either via phone or thei... »
Christmas memories
I was born in 1955, only ten years after World War II, when wartime hardships were still fresh in people’s minds. Grandfather used to tell us children of the extreme hung... »
One who knows Him
A friend and I happened to walk past a cinema just as several movies ended and hundreds of people flooded onto the sidewalk. One man stood out in the crowd—literally—and... »
Mr. Rabbit and me
It all started when we gave in to the children’s pleas and bought a cute little rabbit. At first, the little fellow was too small to be left alone in the garden while the... »
The bridge
I’d just arrived in the port city of Tampico, Mexico, and I was being shown around the townhouse our volunteer work would be based out of. It is located fairly close to t... »
Sand between my toes
The small card fell out of a pile of papers. It was an old photograph, nothing special, a tiny fishing boat crossing a calm ocean underneath a blue sky. I don’t know how... »
The laundry basket
A while back I read some tips on how to get along with people: Speak cheerfully. Smile. Address people by name. Be friendly and helpful. Communicate openly. Be concerned... »
Take me to your master!
Children—and many adults, including this one—love the story of Aladdin. Adventure, magical artifacts, good versus evil, and the ultimate success story of a beggar boy bei... »
The positive mindset
During a recent course I took on counseling, my classmates and I were exploring the topic of negative self-talk, and it quickly became obvious this bad habit had served a... »
Time management tips
When my boss agreed to let me start working from home, I was excited about the prospect and confident that I could do an even better job than working at the office, but h... »