Repainting – A Parable of Forgiveness

 Have you ever tried to match a paint color without a swatch or a nifty home depot attendant? I have, and I would like to attest that some mistakes can’t be covered up ourselves by eye-balling a paint color.  We are simply gonna need more help. I recently put some new curtains in my house....

The Music of Happiness

Music is a complicated thing.  There are masterpieces that take our breath away, songs that annoyingly get stuck in our heads, love songs that make us cry and life moment songs that make us cry harder.  In music just like in life there are moments that ebb and flow, dissonant chords that eventually resolve, strong...

My Mother writes poetry

I have an amazing Mother.  I know everyone says that, but I really do. I receive so much of my love for life from my mom. As a teenager she was always quick to give advice or leave me a note of encouragement on my usually unmade bed.  She came to every piano competition, softball...

Bad Bananas-Distancing ourselves from the harmful effects of unhealthy relationships

How many times have you made the mistake of putting an overripe banana next to another food item like a sandwich or a cookie only to have everything end up tasting like the nasty banana?   Sometimes life can be like a bad banana. Getting too close to toxic things, people, environments can just make...

Peanut Butter Parable-Finding Divine Forgiveness from even the messiest of mistakes

I hate to admit that more than once in my childhood I fell asleep happily with a delicious wad of gum in my mouth only to wake up with a horrible blob of unmerciful goo in my hair. After a few minutes of panic I would remember that I happened to have a brilliant mother...

California Poppies-Reaching Towards the Light

Finding the faith to reach towards the light  In Northern California we have beautiful orange poppies that grow in the wild everywhere.  During my morning walks I am always amazed to look up and see them spreading like orange wildfire all over the green lush landscape.  A friend of mine once pointed out something to...

Steering Required

I drive a mini-van. Yup, I’m one of those moms. And recently I bought a new Honda Odyssey with a crazy feature that’s almost like auto-pilot.  At first it freaked me out but now I think it’s the coolest thing in the world.  I simply take my hands off the wheel and watch my car...

Dear Cell Phone,

I think you and I need to spend some time apart.   I’m sorry to be so blunt but you are smothering me in this relationship.   Take last night for example, I was trying to read my kids a story and you kept going off over and over until I finally gave up on...