What Did You Want?
The morning air is cool on my face. The slick soles of my boots threaten to slip off the bike pedals with each spoke turn.
I cross the street, passing just one walker, his arms swinging quickly down the wide street. Then I make one right turn, one left turn, and another right. In three minutes, I am turning onto Main Street, the sidewalks filled with potted Christmas trees glistening with red and silver in the morning sun.
It rained earlier this week, and the air is still moist. I breathe through my nose, feeling the air expand my lungs. I turn onto the sidewalk outside a coffee shop and pull my bike up to a bike stand shaped like a red metal coffee mug. I can see Justin in the window, perched on a counter stool, laptop open. People press together in line for coffee, and I ease my way in, past the giant body of a Grand Pyrenees who also, perhaps, likes expresso. Its huge brown eyes look up at its owner, who is deep in conversation as she stands in line. I tell Justin I am tempted to burrow my face in the dog’s thick black and white fur.
Stand. See what I see.
Choose Hard-Earned Joy Instead of Cynicism
True joy doesn’t avoid the heaviness of life — it embraces it, journeys through it and emerges on the other side, fuller and brighter. Rob Bell calls cynicism “lazy,” a superficial retreat from life’s complexities. Joy, by contrast, takes courage. It acknowledges the heartbreak and injustice of this world but refuses to be undone by them. Instead, it chooses gratitude for what’s fleeting and beautiful, savoring every precious moment while it lasts.
Gratitude And Optimism May Extend Your Life
Practicing gratitude and optimism might be more powerful than you think. Recent studies from Harvard show that these attitudes can contribute to a longer life, just like exercise or regular health checkups. For those of us navigating our later years, embracing a mindset of thankfulness and positivity could be as crucial as any prescription — helping to enhance not only our longevity but our quality of life as well.
Collect Prayer: An Ancient Form
Most basically, it invites us to call to mind what God has done in the past before we make our present petitions known. We remember before we request, and we look back on the faithfulness of God in the lives of others prior to welcoming the faithfulness of God in our own.
What I Want To Tell My Grandkids
Some years ago, I decided to write a book I’d call something like, “Things I Want to My Grandkids to Know.” I’d self-publish it and provide a copy to each of the kids. I started writing it with a lot of energy, then gradually let it peter out, and then … totally forgot about it. Recently, I happened across my notes, dated 2016. I liked what I’d said. I even added new observations.
The People We Pass
More than money and opportunity, the people in our lives — our family, friends, colleagues, even our casual acquaintances — are among the most precious gifts God will ever give us. Do you know that?