Do You Know the Sound?

It is hard to believe that it has been 17 years since I built the house that we live in.  Ok, I didn’t exactly build it – the construction company did.  However, while they were building it that spring and summer, the boys and I finished the basement while the builders were doing the main…

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Do You Know the Sound?

It is hard to believe that it has been 17 years since I built the house that we live in.  Ok, I didn’t exactly build it – the construction company did.  However, while they were building it that spring and summer, the boys and I finished the basement while the builders were doing the main…

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Be Present

I have an acquaintance whose husband was killed in an auto accident this past week.  I found out about it because it was on the front page of the paper.  While that may seem unusual, it is not if you play an important role in a major hotel chain.  We were very sad for the…

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Is that Funny?

“There’s a conversation between a minister, a priest, and a rabbi . . . . . “ Ok, no I am not going to tell a joke, but if I did, would you laugh?  Well, maybe that’s not a fair question because people are more likely to groan at my jokes than laugh (unless of…

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Turn Their Crank

I love hearing stories about how people are filled; what things lead to feeling valued and cherished – how they get their “crank turned.”  My wife is a public school administrator.  Occasionally, she will get a note from a past student or perhaps a card from a staff member, letting her know what an impact…

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Want to Be Fixed?

When is the last time you went to your partner and said – “I am broken, please fix me?”  Or, “I have some flaws, would you please correct them for me?”  As you read these questions, you probably are thinking that I’m nuts (I may be but that is a different discussion for another time). …

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Build a Hedge

When I first moved to Colorado, I planted a row of Ponderosa Pines on the back of my property.  My hope was that they would one day grow to create a barrier and with that, offer some privacy.  You may have planted bushes or built a wooden fence between you and your neighbors in order…

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Worrying Together

People worry.  Ok – not a news flash but it is a true statement.  While it rarely accomplishes much, except to stress us out, we continue to do it.  Some deal with worry by doing something physical – like jogging or going to the gym.  Others want to talk about it, perhaps with someone they…

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Be Fully Transparent

There is a difference between “privacy” and “secrecy.”  I like my privacy.  I may want privacy when I take a shower, read a book, or spend quiet time with the Lord. Privacy is important to our independent health and our overall well-being. However, secrecy is another thing.  I find couples who close their laptop when…

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Lemonade

You are on vacation and are driving with your family.  As you go through a small town, you hear a strange sound coming from the car.  Pulling into an Auto repair shop, you learn that the car needs a new water-pump, which they have to order, and you will need to spend a night in…

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