Yesterday was an interesting day – full of highs and lows. At one point a very dear friend said something I construed as “hurtful”. After talking with another friend, it was suggested I go back and clarify if what I heard was what was meant. Guess what? It wasn’t. The whole thing was a mistake. Forgiveness – real forgiveness is such a gift – not just to the person who supposedly offended, but to me! God knew what he was doing when he told us to forgive each other. Freedom. Forgiveness gives us wide-open doors. Let’s go!

Today is a beautiful day. It’s hard to believe when one looks outside that just yesterday morning we were in a fury of tornado warnings. My dog and I took cover as the sirens blared through the strangely still night skies. It was about 3:30 AM. Certainly not a time to be rousted out of bed. The sirens sounded so eerie; almost as odd as the intense quiet of the winds right before they erupted. Then, later in the day, the clouds began to disperse and the sun took over again. Today there is virtually no reminder in the sky of the torrential winds and rain. I think there is something…

It occurs to me – today, on Veteran’s Day, 2015, often times distractions are disruptive to our “end game”. Where are you looking today? To self? To friends? To God? To “stuff”? I’ll admit, there are times I take my eye off the ball. A friend, Hami, told me earlier this week that “to judge your past actions based on what you know today is personal terrorism.” Isn’t that interesting? Beating one’s self up because of past mistakes doesn’t help anyone, and it doesn’t change anything. So today, rather than look at the clouds (yes, it’s raining and windy in Texas), I’m going to find the flowers, find the beauty…

I was reading a post on LinkedIn today about people who are successful. One of the eight requirements was “not to whine”. Hello! I was thinking rather than say what not to do, wouldn’t it be better to reverse it to a positive? Be thankful. Be so seriously grateful that there isn’t any room for doubt, failure, or negative thoughts of any kind. If our heart is wrapped up in gratitude, we will be compelling, dynamic people. I mean seriously, who wants to hang out with a critical, negative person? I know life is sometimes hard, but being grateful makes the road so much smoother. “Be thankful for what you…

Do you ever have a day that just seems to be out of synch? Maybe there is nothing really “wrong”, but somehow it feels like there should be? Life is a series of cycles, it seems to me. Sun up, sun down. Tide in, tide out. Mountains and valleys. New moon, full moon – yes, things ebb and flow, don’t they? Contrasts aren’t really a bad thing, as long as there IS a contrast. Think about this today… “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous…

Many years ago, when I was in high school, my parents listened to my plea for a new flute. The one I was playing was a “student” model, and I just couldn’t progress on it. One Saturday Dad drove us to a music store – Royal Music, in Royal Oak, MI, about an hour, or so, away from where we lived. I can remember it like it was yesterday… We walked out of that store with a beautiful, solid silver open-holed Armstrong flute with a “b” pedal. It has traveled many miles and been with me through some pretty trying times, good times and now…I’m so happy! On December 6th I have…