Words of Hope: The Anchor and the Cross

A friend of mine called me. Her daughter lost her fiancé in a devasting accident a few months before their wedding. This grief feels unbearable to me. My friend told me grief is personal, and each person navigates grief...

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Words of Hope: Clothe Yourselves

One of my dad’s favorite scriptures was Colossians 3:12-17. It starts, “Therefore as God’s chosen people holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion… Dad loved imagining clothing himself with these intangible qualities. He would pause and take time...

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Words of Hope: Surprised by Joy

I had been dreading Father's Day. I woke up on Father's Day, assuming it would be a bone-crushing day of sorrow, but it wasn't. I left deep gratitude for my Dad and felt very close to him. His spirit...

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Words of Hope: The Highest Goals

My Dad was incredibly pragmatic. He was a genius at making complex concepts simple and easy to understand. Dad believed the clearer you are in what you want, the better chance you have of getting what you need. First,...

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Words of Hope: The Choice of a Beautiful Life

Dad LOVED slogans—he had hundreds. One of his favorites was, “You win or lose by the way you choose.” This phrase has been on my mind each morning—a simple decision. Do I see my work today as a gift...

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Words of Hope: Whose Job

Growing up, Dad was assigned family jobs. Mine was to haul wood to the basement every Saturday and clean up after the dog. This last task wasn't easy. We had a substantial 140-pound black lab named Challenger, and he...

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Words of Hope: Proof is in the Pudding

When we ask forgiveness without change, we commit further harm. Teresa was an angry parent. Despite her best intentions, she often yelled at her kids, pushed them into their chairs, grabbed their faces in anger, and said mean things....

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Words of Hope: An Elegant Question

Dad taught our family that we cheat the forgiveness asking process when we fail to resolve our conflicts or disagreements using language that does not address adequate resolution. Words such as “I’m sorry” are nice but not enough. When...

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Words of Hope: Forgiveness Overload

Dad believed we nullify forgiveness and cause pain rather than healing when we ask the other to forgive too much at one time.   “I cheated on you for the last twenty years. Would you forgive me?”   “I was never there as...

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Words of Hope: Great People Talk About Ideas

Our family likes meaningful conversation. Years ago, we heard the quote, great people talk about ideas, mediocre people talk about things, and small people talk about others. Wow! What a great model for daily family conversation. What are the...

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