Category: life
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the day after
Congratulations. For the last couple weeks you have joined me in an experiment. Somewhere along the way I lost my desire to write. The idea of lighting advent candles and reading accompanying meditations popped into my head. Perhaps this would motivate me to get back into writing – aiming for just two paragraphs at a…
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advent: carols
Christmas Day 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 57 year old widowed father of six children, the oldest nearly paralyzed during the civil war, wrote a poem capturing the dissonance in his own heart and in the world around him. This timeless carol is one of my favorites. May you also find hope and peace this day.…
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advent: precursor
“He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents…” (Malachi 4:6) These words, the last in the Old Testament, echo the hope and heart cry of so many, even more poignantly in this season of waiting. The verses also provide a segue to the New Testament…
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advent: the big picture
It’s easy, dare I say human to get caught up in the dailyness of living. You know – finances, family issues, food, house cleaning, car maintenance, work obligations, pets, health, time for meditation – just getting through the day and foreseeable future. Then we see Scripture challenging us to live beyond tunnel vision. We are…
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advent: utopia
We are told in the Scriptures that “the Kingdom of Heaven is among us.” As I look around, I’m not seeing the Eden of Paradise. I see religions promoting reward systems with the promise of a future utopia. It appears easier for mankind to obey religious laws and rituals than to accept the transformation offered…
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the problem of christmas
I have fond memories of Christmas past, from my family of origin, as well as with my young family. But then, a while back, problems began within Christendom. Traditional symbols connected up to pagan rites, a portion of believers condemned, and indeed did not participate in Christmas celebrations. As I scaled back my over-the-board enthusiasm,…
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stupidity
That would be in reference to me. Having not learned from my vision debacle, I now face dental disaster. Let me explain. Generational vision issues run in my family. Thus, faithfully, I annually trekked to a specialist, until…. so engrossed in caring for my mother, I neglected myself, resulting in eye surgeries and loss of…
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bathroom cleaning by accident
(subtitled) the wisdom of following advice Advancing in age, being of limited means, I conscientiously seek advice regarding gum preservation during dental visits. You may ask, “What is the connection between dental advice and bathroom cleaning?” Well, I was advised to purchase a waterpic. Seconded by my niece, a dental hygienist, this would be advisable,…
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it’s a roller coaster world: the new family norm
As a family therapist and professor, although now retired, it seems everywhere I go people are talking about monumental cultural and political change affecting their families. I’ve been thinking about this, trying to make sense and bring into focus what people are living through, looking for answers, not just coping ability, but strategies for stability,…
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when I grow up
There’s a question you’re suppose to answer in the first couple decades of life. I, however, am in the remedial class of living, still asking, “what do I want to be when I grow up?” And here I am, facing my seventh decade of life. Unlike most people, aging has always been a grand adventure…
CJ's World 