March 22, 2015

Half Full or Half Empty?

Some think that the glass is not only half-full, but also filled with toxic water. Although I consider myself an optimist, I sometimes fall into that logic. This usually occurs after I’ve made a mistake, used wrong judgment, or made a mess of things in one way or the other. My co-workers, bless their hearts, remind me (in a kind way) that I am only human and I will make mistakes, not only at work but also in my personal life. Granted, I do need to own up to my failings and learn from them, but after that it is time to move forward.

However, I tend beat myself up for several hours, even days, depending on the seriousness of my mistake. This causes my blood sugar to plummet, which in turn affects my general health, which then adds to the negative thought pattern. This downhill spiral is hard to stop and serves no purpose after a short period of justified remorse and a fervent, “I’m sorry” when that is warranted.

The psychology behind this self-punishment isn’t hard to figure out. If I suffer enough, perhaps I can somehow atone for my error, lapse of judgement, or insensitivity. I fail to remember Isaiah 43:25: “I am, I am he that blots out thy iniquities for my own sake, and I will not remember thy sins.” Even if my fellow humans cannot forgive or forget, God will. God loves ― and forgives ― a contrite heart.

March 11, 2015

Now Available: Lions Among the Lambs - Book Two of the Lions and Lamb Series

It's finally done!

Evil takes many forms. Some times as beauty, sometimes as beast.   

In this sequel to And Then Came a Lion, Susannah Daniels faces an adversary who takes evil to a higher level than any predator she has yet encountered. This monster uses the innocent only as a means to his end - a personal Armageddon.

Yet, things are not always what they appear to be. How can Susannah tell who is the beast and who is not? She must trust an old Indian spirit, a divine messenger sent to lead her through a maze of supernatural challenges expertly orchestrated by a creature universally known for his deceptions.


And so begins the game of Cat and Mouse. Who will win? The predator or the prey?

Available on Amazon: Lions Among the Lambs

March 08, 2015

Searching for My Carmel-by-the-Sea

My husband wants to take me to Carmel-by-the-Sea on a future vacation. It sounds wonderful, with panoramic ocean views, quaint shops, fabulous restaurants, and elegant inns. Let’s say I liked the idea. It sounds like a place that would be hard to leave – until the money ran out.

The travel brochures describes it as a place of perfection, a place where everyone is polite and gracious, a place where the ugliness of the rest of the world doesn’t exist. That might be the true for tourists, but the residents deal with all the same problems the rest of us do. They just get to do it in a beautiful place.

We can chose to make our lives more beautiful, regardless of whether we live in a resort town or not, and the means to do this is free: the Serenity Prayer.

I have this recorded on a CD by Dr. Emmett Miller (Serenity Prayer) with a thirty-minute drive time meditation. What could be a better time to practice serenity than during my morning commute?