“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” Warren Buffett What if we knew the impact our actions would have many years after we make them? There is something beautifully humbling about this thought, isn’t there? There is power in looking at the fact that every decision we make impacts others in some way. To realize that what we do today—every word we speak, every action we take, every kindness we offer—has a ripple that extends

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 There are so many times in life that I pray for rest. Moments when my body feels tired, yes—but even more so, when my mind and heart feel overwhelmed. It is often in those times that I realize I have taken my eyes off the present moment and placed them somewhere far beyond my reach. I find myself caught up in the noise of the world—stories that are not mine, problems I cannot solve, si

"Home is the nicest word there is." — Laura Ingalls Wilder Today I sat and enjoyed being engulfed in nature energy in the place of my childhood years. I grew up in these Appalachian mountains right here in this neighborhood where my sister still lives. Across the street and up the hill, I can see what remains of my parents’ home—a structure that once pulsed with laughter, lessons, and love. The roads here know my footsteps. The landmarks whisper stories of who I was and how

"The secret is not to find the meaning of life, but to use your life to make things that are meaningful." — James Clear   There are moments when something simple catches your attention and opens the door to deeper reflection. Today, it was an email—one of many that fill my inbox each day. Most are passed by with little thought, but this one asked a question that made me pause: “are we being mind controlled?”   At first, it may sound dramatic. Yet, when we look a little closer

“If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.”  Thomas Jefferson   We did not come to Earth to just sit around and do nothing. We are here to stretch ourselves, to be challenged, to live. In life we face many situations where we make choices – some life-changing, some simply out of need. I believe we have an agenda of what we want to discover and uncover. We may not know the minute details, and that is okay, but we know th

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”  John F. Kennedy   There is something deeply comforting about speaking the words “thank you.” They feel complete, like a bow tied neatly on a moment. Yet, if we pause and sit with this quote, we begin to sense there is something more being asked of us—something deeper, something lived. Gratitude is not just a fleeting expression; it is a frequency. It

“The long and winding road that leads to your door Will never disappear, I've seen that road before It always leads me here, lead me to your door.” The Beatles   I know the road well that leads to my sister’s house. I have traveled it many times during my life. The first eight to nine hours of the drive went by uneventfully with light traffic and my favorite singer serenading me in between my favorite author being read on audio. I had been warned already about rain and storm

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi   In meditation recently with my friend Ruth, we each focused on a desire. Without hesitation, I said that I would love to have a more intimate walk with Jesus. I want to know more about what he experienced while on Earth. It was my agenda in going to Egypt to feel where some of the historical figures walked and hear the language they used. I experienced this as I visited a church i

"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become." — Carl Gustav Jung   There is a subtle shift in language that carries the power to transform an entire life. How often have we heard ourselves say, “This happened to me…”—as if life singled us out, as if we were at the mercy of circumstances beyond our control? And yet, within that very same experience lies a doorway. A quiet invitation. A sacred whisper that asks, what if this happened for you? It doesn’t dismiss

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” ― Roald Dahl   Sometimes it is hard to see the blessing in the things that we feel are not good for us or that hurt. Last year I broke two teeth on two different occasions. I have never been fond of dentists as all my experiences were painful ones. Breaking those two teeth were a