Wisdom of the Wounded

Today I received in the mail a hand written thank you note! This is a most unusual event and one to be celebrated. I was so impressed by the gesture that the note now occupies a place on my desk. Many years ago, a business guru, Tom Peters ranked writing a thank you note to […]

“Someday is not a day of the week.”  — Unknown We are surrounded by people who need our care. The problem is too often our hearts say “go” but our heads say “no” and we procrastinate. I procrastinate. Do you? Too often I follow the words of Mark Twain who said, “Never put off until […]

“Everybody can be great. . .because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”  Martin Luther King, Jr. A Simple Gesture  by John Schlatter Mark […]

Often when asked, “What may I do to help you?” most people are hesitant.  “Oh, nothing, really,”  they say.  “I’m fine.”  (Perhaps they aren’t sure themselves, can’t make a decision, or don’t want to inconvenience you.)  So we need to make an educated guess about what a person’s needs might be.  It is helpful to […]

Are you a gossip and don’t know it? “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”  Proverbs 11:13 “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.”  Psalm 141:3 When someone tells you his sad story or bears her raw-self, keep that confidence.  Do […]

by Randy Simpson My day is filled with loneliness and despair, and wondering and thinking about my future!  Being in prison is a world of loneliness, and I do struggle with that each day. Try to imagine what it would be like to be empty inside, and hungry and not be able to fill your […]

I attended a funeral in which a son of the deceased said:  “My four-year-old son asked me, ‘Why did God make Grandpa Bob die?’  I told him, ‘God wanted someone to play basketball with.’” I cringed when I heard this father’s explanation.  I could just imagine what the little 4-year-old thought: “Oh, but I wanted […]

“What characteristics of your wife do you miss the most?” That was the question I asked Bob whose wife of 47 years had died thirteen months earlier. Immediately he said, “Ruth had the gift of hospitality.  So our dining room table was often filled with friends and family, with laughter, stories and good food. Now […]

Be still, and know that he is God. (Ps 46:10) How can you care for a friend who is suffering? Take some advice from Job’s friends.  Remember Job was a brokenhearted father and husband, wracked with disease and doubt and grief.  His friends heard about his troubles and set out to go and console and […]

If a friend said to you, “My husband or my wife is having an affair,” what would you say and do?  How could you best help that friend? Nancy shares how she responded when her friend Sue said, “My husband is having an affair!” Nancy says, “Sue and her husband are dear friends of mine. […]