Test

A Little Kindness Goes A Long Way

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do, Do not wait to shed your light afar; To the many duties ever near you now be true, Brighten the corner where you are. —Ina Duley Ogdon This April, I saw a wonderful story related to this year’s Boston Marathon, the...

For Dads on Father’s Day

“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” ―Clarence Budington Kelland “The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.” —Tim Russert Happy Father’s Day, dads!  Whether you receive ties, BBQ utensils, power tools, or hand-crafted...

The Benefits of Advice

I enjoy reading the various “best of” and “worst of” lists that come out at the end of the year. One variation of that theme that caught my eye last December was a crowdsourced “Best Advice You Received This Year” list. I was fascinated by the variety and (often) the...

What Are We Really?

The following poem, “Zebra Question” by Shel Silverstein, uses humor to raise the age-old question concerning how we understand human nature. I asked the zebra, Are you black with white stripes? Or white with black stripes? And the zebra asked me, Are you good with...

Talk With Me

It’s hard to absorb the steady stream of negative local, regional, national, and international news and not feel powerless in a world of seemingly endless despair, corruption, violence, and war. We have to work overtime to resist the twin temptations of hopeless...

The Keys of Leadership

When I was a sophomore in college, I got cut from the baseball team. The door that I wanted so desperately to stay wide open, allowing me to walk through to become a professional baseball player, was closed abruptly. I didn’t know what to do or even who I was....

Looking Out for Mom’s Needs

In a survey conducted by Mother’s of Preschoolers, a thousand moms were asked what they need the most. Some of their needs included: Adult conversation. To know that I’m normal. Time off. To know that I am a good mother. Time with my husband. Time with God. A...

Happy 50th Anniversary Conejo!

Every local congregation has an origin story and every origin story involves people with a dream. According to one document by early Conejo Church member Morris Womack, there were church leaders at the Camarillo Church of Christ as early as the summer of 1968 who had...

Changing the World

Every year at graduation time, valedictory speakers trot out time-honored platitudes about “making a difference,” “changing the world,” and “following your dreams.” The same is true during election years as candidates make promises and proposals for a better future...

Re-enchanting the Disenchanted

Allow me to paint in broad brushstrokes. The world in which we live, the modern West, is a “disenchanted” world in which many people have come to view the world in a mechanized way. Science is seen by many as being able to explain any and all phenomena, from...