L.I.V.E. Life Inspired Views for Everyday

Send us Fan MailLighthouses. They are beginning to take up residence in my mind in many ways. The metaphors contrived from their purpose and from the experiences around them intrigue me more and more. This week, I found this brilliant analogy: “The Lighthouse Theory,” by an unknown author. It read, “You don’t need to chase people to be seen. Just stand where you are and shine. The right ones will find you. Drawn not by your noise or effort, but by the quiet strength of your light.” Today's podcast is a weaving of thoughts and concepts around bold living, fearlessness, courage, liminal spaces, justice, love, and living like a lighthouse. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailI will never forget two meaningful compliments given to me many years ago. The first was from a little boy I worked with as a school counselor. Zach struggled with social cues and other challenges in his life. One day we were walking down the hall together and this little kindergarten boy said to me, "Mrs. Meyer, I used to think you were weird." I replied, "You did, Zach? What do you think now?" Zach said softly, "Now I think you're special." What words to tuck forever in my heart.The second compliment came from my former pastor, Lee Laaveg. One day he said, "Kris, you don't remind me of anyone." Wow! I felt like I graduated. Growing up I was always trying to fit in with the crowd, trying to be liked. Then as I grew older, I began caring less and less about fitting in and found more and more joy in just being myself. That compliment reminded me that I had learned the art of being myself.The freedom that comes with living authentically can truly bring one joy. When we do that, we don't have to think about "acting," we can simply be.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailAs my dad dwelled in the world of dementia, he would repeat several stories from his early life over and over. In reflection, they seemed to give us some kind of wisdom that he wanted to impart. In one of those stories, he recounted going to his professor's office to discuss a paper he was writing. When he came to the office, the professor didn't look up at my dad as he stood by his desk. Instead, he absentmindedly continued to shuffle papers around as Dad tried to explain his thoughts. Finally, Dad told the professor that those papers on his desk seemed much more important than he. And Dad left the room. That must have been one of those life lessons because Dad was one to give people attention, time, focused on what they had to say. From that unfortunate experience, the professor provided Dad a valuable lesson that he hoped would be passed on to us.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailToday is another shorter podcast. The time this past week was filled with preparation, caregiving, and finally the Celebration of Life for my sister, Freda. It was a cherished day, with love abounding. The opportunity to gather with people after a death is powerful and so needed by humans, more than some realize. How I wish I could express how deep my gratitude is for those who came, who wanted to come, and who showed support in so many different ways. We as a family are so humbled by the goodness of others and by the love.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThis week I chose to share a potpourri of inspiring thoughts and wisdom from sources I find interesting as I peruse the writing of others. I love learning and being inspired, so this week, my podcast has no particular theme other than ideas shared by writers who make me want to live more wisely. Thanks for listening. 

Send us Fan MailRegrets...an easy word to say when responding with an RSVP. Often the invite states, "regrets only." Simple and easy. But it is the "regret" that often takes up residence in us as a pit in our stomach or constant recording which takes away our peace of mind because we wish we would have said or done something different. Regrets can imprison us until we make them right, or with time, until we can forgive ourselves. However, learning to prevent them is an antidote which will lead to celebrating having no regrets. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThis week's podcast is late because I forgot my computer at my sister, Freda's, condo last weekend. The writing of the script was done, all I had to do was record the podcast, but I couldn't because my computer was in Minneapolis. So, you get the podcast today. We are in the process of cleaning out my sister's condo after her sudden death. The experience is sad, comical at times, and strangely enlightening. So, the experience begs the question, "What is your relationship with stuff?"Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailCommunity...thankfulness...when challenging times come, community is what one can almost always be most thankful for. When have you felt the power of community? It can be something we take for granted. It is definitely one of those things you know is missing when it isn't there. Community. What does it mean to you and how has it helped you through difficult times?Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailOne day I asked my sister, Freda, "aren't you glad we are sisters?" Freda replied, "Yes! How else would we have known each other?" We repeated that great nugget of wisdom many times. I'm so sad today because on Saturday, Freda died suddenly on a trip to Ireland. In times like this, hearing the simple is often so comforting, so Winnie the Pooh, the simple bear says it best for me. He said:"If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you." - Winnie the PoohAnd he also wisely said, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying good-bye so hard." - Winnie the PoohThanks for listening to a bit about my dear sister, Freda.

Send us Fan MailWe love stories for many reasons, but one of the comforting reasons may be because as most stories resolve, they usually end in someone figuring something out, like a problem or growing in wisdom because of the problem. As I look at all the books containing stories on my shelves, there is definitely that theme, something is somehow figured out. We read books with the anticipation of learning what will be learned or figured out. We often live life with the same anticipation...how will whatever is happening ultimately get figured out? How does that play out in our life's story?Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailWe all need a place to call our own. A place to fill our proverbial bucket, a place to spend time alone, or a place to take joy in the things we enjoy doing. A place. At certain times or stages in our lives, it is hard not only to find such a place, but also to find time to escape to that place. But we still need to know that "our" place exists. These places are needed. We can find them, even if it is for a brief time now and then...they will give us a needed refreshment to keep going...Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailSome of you listening today have vivid memories of life before the smartphone. Some of you listening today can hardly remember ever being without a smartphone in your life. My Grandma Myhrwold used to tell me, "There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us, it behooves us all not to talk about the rest of us." I think of that quip when I think of smartphones. There is so much good in them...but there is so much that is not good for us in them as well. We need to pause, to think about how they are captivating our lives, and then make a decision that puts us in charge of them.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailMany of us have had to introduce ourselves to a new group of some kind. The question usually goes like, "Tell us a bit about yourself." Or sometimes we are asked to give three things that describe who we are. And sometimes we are asked "would you rather" questions, such as "Would you rather give a 10-minute speech or learn to ride a motorcycle?" Whatever the case, these kinds of questions ask us to reveal who we think we are. How well we know ourselves. We live in a loud and visual world. We have some kind of sound going most of the time or we are staring at a device full of pictures, articles, movies, or video clips. How often do we sit with wonder at our reactions and choices to things that we may face. I hope you are nudged to do more reflection this week.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailMargaret was an elderly woman I was transporting in the ambulance to the hospital. Alzheimer's had taken much of Margaret's memory. I was completing my paperwork and asked Margaret how old she was. Margaret replied, "I don't know." So, I said, "You know the old baseball player, Satchel Paige? He said, 'How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?'" I told Margaret that I would be 24 years old, because that is how old I felt in my mind. Margaret had a window of clearness and said, "I'd be what I am, because my daughters still need my wisdom, and you only get that by living." Wow! Margaret may have forgotten many things, but she still knew the essence of who she was. Have you identified things that the essence of you are? What you value? What tenets you live by? We must remind ourselves of these things often and reflect them in our living, for they reflect who we are.Thanks for listening 

Send us Fan MailRemember that old adage we learned as kids, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never harm me?" We all know that there is no wisdom in that. It just isn't true because words definitely hurt the people to which they are spoken, and often in time they hurt the people who spoke them. A quote I read once said it best, "Words are a powerful vehicle. They can give life, or they can take it away. Perhaps some of the most powerful words are last words. They can be regretted or give life when spoken well. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThe Merriam Webster dictionary defines community as basically a unified body of individuals. Then it adds, "such as:" and describes an assortment of types of those unified bodies or groups. Those are fancy words to describe what happens when a few people join together in unity for anything. Hey! I just saw something in the word, "community!" "Comm" and "unity" - Come together in unity. There can hardly be any more noble action in this world.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailVoltaire said, "Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." What a good quote to put on your bathroom mirror, on your computer screen, on a sticky note anywhere where you will see it every day. During these dark times, we may need visual reminders to sing and to laugh. Some unknown source bolstered Voltaire's adage with these words, "Sometimes happiness is a feeling. Sometimes it is a decision." Think of these two quotes as you listen to the podcast.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThere are two precious books in my personal library. One I received from the Ramker family when I retired, and one I received from my friend, Beth Wilson, for Christmas. The titles are, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, and Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse, and the Storm, both by Charlie Mackesy. They are about four animal friends and filled with whimsical nuggets of encouragement and wisdom. Several of those nuggets found in these books are fitting to introduce today's podcast. Here they are: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "Kind," said the Boy. "What is a true sign of strength?" "Gentleness," said the Horse. "The wind is strong." "Our love is stronger," said the Horse. "Where did your strength come?" asked the Mole. "From remembering I am loved," said the Boy. "I thought I'd lost you," said the Horse. "It was love that brought me home."  "Hope is the quiet song in your heart that can sing in spite of everything." "I've realized why we are here," whispered the Boy. "For cake?" asked the Mole. "To love," said the Boy. "And be loved," said the Horse.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailElena Aguilar says in her book, Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators, "A substantial amount of our ability to be resilient is fostered in our daily habits." We often focus on how we can make daily tasks easier or how we can circumvent doing a hard thing to prevent taxing our time and energy. What is the cost of bypassing hard things? I hadn't thought of the cost we pay for not doing hard things in life until a recent article enlightened me on the benefits. The daily habits that foster resilience come from our acceptance and willingness to do hard things.My sister Freda told me of going to the funeral of a beautiful young man, Charlie, born with many disabilities. During the funeral the pastor shared that Charlie often said proudly, "I can do hard things." May we all use Charlie as our model when approaching hard things.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailWhen I was a little girl, my favorite thing to do for fun was to play "house." I would spend hours in my make-believe-house that I made in my room. My dad built me a kitchen sink, stove, refrigerator, and cupboard. I loved playing "house." Do you remember your favorite pasttime when you were a kid? Now go forward to today. If you were given the time and choice to do whatever you wanted, what would you choose to do that you enjoy doing the most? Now for the big question...how often do you indulge in doing that which you enjoy? What if we were to reframe it as a "need to do," not just a "want to do?" Thanks for listening?

Send us Fan MailDr. Edith Eva Eger, survived the concentration camps during World War II. She came to America and became a mental health therapist. Eger stated in her book, The Choice: Embrace the Possible, "that we remain victims as long as we hold another person responsible for our own well-being." As she tells her clients, "When we blame each other for our unhappiness, we avoid the responsibility of making our own joy. Joy can be broken, through our choices, it can be restored.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailMetaphors are my favorite way of understanding life, science, behaviors, almost anything. Therefore, I'm constantly on the lookout for nuances in social situations, profound things people say without even knowing they were profound, or reactions to things so that I can put them into a story for better understanding. Noticing is my hobby. But there are many things I probably do not notice that I could get better at seeing if I focused. Our daughter loves birds and notices their songs when I don't even hear them singing. Our nine-month-old grandson, Ralf, notices tiny pieces of lint on the floor. Noticing. What would we see if we were more conscious of noticing? What do we miss because we do not concentrate on "seeing?"Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailOne of the most powerful pieces of wisdom I got from my dad was when he told me, "Always assign people value." People yearn to be noticed and valued. I think it is instinctive. Some time ago I shared the story about a nursing student taking a chemistry quiz. The last question on the test was, "What is the name of the woman who sweeps the floors of our building?" When the tests were turned in and the students were leaving the classroom, one of them asked the professor, "Is that last question going to count toward our grade?" The professor replied, "Absolutely. Every day you will come by people who need to be noticed. They need to be noticed by you." The student never forgot the lesson she learned that day, she also learned, the woman's name was Dorothy."Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailLong ago I came upon a quote that says, "Words are a powerful vehicle. They can give life, or they can take it away." How true. How many skills and gifts have been left uncelebrated or unused because someone spoke of them with words of criticism instead of encouragement? We all bear some of those wounds. However, the power of words, when focused for good, can have life-changing effects. When we focus on words that are good to live by, their power can reach beyond our lives to those around us. Sometimes it might be only one word at a time!Thanks for listening!

Send us Fan MailMy friend, Diane Quail, inherited a "seam ripper" when her grandma died. She had no idea what it was. When she learned that it was used to rip out stitches in a garment or something that had been sewn, she was eventually led into the world of quilting. She loved it so much that she became a designer and published quilt patterns. All because she learned about the seam ripper she got from her grandma. We never know when those moments come along, but if we act with curiosity, they can be life changing. Do you have a "seam ripper" story?Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailWhen I was a little girl, my dad's nickname for me was, "Mrs. MaGoo." He probably coined the name from a popular children's cartoon in the early 50's and '60's called, "Mr. MaGoo," who was a blind, kind, elderly man and was always mistaking something for what he thought was really there. We do the same. Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote a thoughtful book entitled, Have You Seen Luis Velez?  about a teenage boy who befriends and helps a 92-year-old woman. It really made me think about the things we see and the things we do not see, both as a sighted person and one who is blind. Have You Seen Luis Velez? sends the message that "insight" often takes effort but is a most valuable gift.  Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThe book, The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance by Zach Mercurio, has become a favorite of mine. It is applicable to anyone because it teaches skills that ensure that those around us know they are valued and significant. It's similar to giving and receiving love. People don't give and receive love in the same ways. Learning what expressions of love individually matter most to people is one of the best gifts we can give. It's the ultimate way to let someone know they matter. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailIn the first season of Ted Lasso, Nate Shelley is introduced as the quiet, insecure "kit" man for the soccer team. When Ted asks his name, he doesn't believe he heard him right and says nothing. Ted succeeds in starting a relationship with him and in the end, he becomes one of the coaches, all because Ted showed him value. He let him know that he had significance in this world. A person can transform when they learn that they matter to someone. Who made you feel that you matter?Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailHas someone ever told you a story about another person and you respond with, "Yup, that sounds like them." Or have you seen or heard other telltale signs by the way of something said or shared or done and you immediately know who it was? People come to know us in so many ways, but definitely by our words, attitudes and choices. It is wise now and then, that we take inventory to decide if our reflection is the one we want the world to see, to hear, to experience, or to enjoy. Today I encourage all of us to pick up a mirror.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailHow often have you heard someone say, "Well that's a first!" Or maybe they say, "Well, I had a first today!" Firsts are fascinating events. Some of them are powerful enough not only to stay with us in memory, but sometimes they change our lives. Probably because of the brain structure, the role of the amygdala, we remember a lot of our firsts because they leave an impact of some kind. I'm wondering if reflecting on those meaningful "firsts" in our lives helps us to know ourselves just a bit better.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailWhen I was in high school, I had a friend who loved quotes like I did. We found one that left an imprint on me for all these years. It is not that I am following the wisdom within this phrase faithfully, but having it memorized and referred to often, makes me mindful. The quote says, "While you are dreaming of the future or regretting the past, the present, which is all you have, slips from you and is gone." It's so easy to get caught up in judging what we have not become or not done in the past and worrying or wishing into the future. The present. Ah, the gift of now to live our best selves no matter what, is the gift we give ourselves and those around us. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThe famous former Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius wrote, "In the end, character isn't defined by grand gestures, but by the small moments when we think no one is watching. It's our daily choices - our response to rudeness, our handling of power, how we treat friends, children, the elderly - that reveals the core of who we are."I love that.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThere are some things in life that are "wants," and some things that are "needs." Art sometimes seems like a "want," like "I want to learn to draw," or "I wish I could sing." However, it is different from the "need" for art. Art is as old as civilization. It has survived when human survival was threatened. It is like the seed that continues to sprout, grow, and propagate. Art is and will always be...to bring purpose, hope, and happiness to the human species. This I believe.Thanks for listening. 

Send us Fan MailAlgorithm is defined as a procedure for solving a mathematical problem that frequently involves repetition of an operation. Repetition. Repeating something we do or think over and over, creating a pattern, which leads to learning and remembering. Like one of my favorite quotes by Frances Hodgson Burnett, "You learn things by saying them over and over and thinking about them until they stay in your mind forever." To become wise, the path followed involves repetition, observation, risking, and learning. One more clue in the definition of "algorithm" is looking for keywords. We reflect what is important to us. Thanks for listening. 

Send us Fan MailOne day, when I was a TAG teacher in Forest City Elementary School, our school counselor resigned. I happened to meet Dave Cunningham, the former school counselor and now the assistant principal, in the lobby the next morning. I asked him if he was going to apply for the counselor position. Dave said, "No, I thought you would." Those five words changed my life. Five little words led to a big decision, a good decision. Never discount the power of little actions, a few words, or a small choice to make a big difference.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailOne of the daily feeds I get in my email is The Writer's Almanac. It recounts birthdays and anniversaries of famous people of the arts or historical events. I enjoy reading how some of the authors, musicians, or artists were enlightened by an experience or some inner need to write, draw, paint, or make music. It amazes me that they could not say no to the need within to do the art for which they were skilled or loved to do.Art is more than a "something." It is a need for the artist to express and a need for humanity to enjoy. We need art, in whatever form. Humanity is nourished by it. Without it we shrivel. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailWe all handle stress in different ways. Some ways are healthy and some not so healthy. But however it is handled, we all need to deal with it from time to time. I will never forget hearing Dr. Amid Sood speak in a TEDx talk once. He described all these terrible things that had happened to him from cancer, to heart attacks, to strokes, it was a list that almost made you gasp that all of these things could happen to one person. He started the recitation by saying, "In my life I have experienced..." and then named each thing, ending with, "all in my head." Everyone in the audience laughed almost relieved, but then with a nod of knowing. We all have "gone there" with the worst that could happen, living it out in our minds. Our minds are powerful tools to make us imagine the worst that could happen. But we can capture the control of our minds with equally powerful tools to balance that dismal stress and replace it with a sense of peace and joy. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailLeaving a place you have loved and moving toward another opportunity always carries mixed emotions. My dad was a pastor. While in the seminary, he and some of his classmates wrote a book compiled with stories each of them had written describing how they received the call to the ministry. My dad had been a farmer and thought he would always be a farmer...until he felt called to become a pastor at age 28. The story he writes explains the struggle to leave the farm. On the last page of his story he writes, "The farm still draws. A year ago I stood with my arms about the necks of my big sorrels, and the tears streamed down my face. I couldn't stop them. But neither could I turn back, for now I had put my hand to the plow." When have you made a decision to leave something you loved to follow another path that was beckoning you to come? When have you put your hand to the plow?Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailI have three wonderful books by Kobi Yamada. Their titles are, What Do You Do With an Idea, What Do You Do With a Problem, and What Do You Do With a Chance. These titles spurred an intriguing question. What do you do with a word? One word can change a life, a career, or a relationship. We have so many opportunities to use a word to do something with our lives. All we have to do is reframe it to fit what we need to learn, to see, or to understand. 

Send us Fan MailThere is a philosophy in Japan called Nagomi. It's an ancient word that focuses on calming. It's derived from the Japanese verb, "nagomu," which means to calm down or be comforted. When things get so busy you wonder if you are ever going to get all things done, you need something that brings you balance, that encourages you to trust that everything will be accomplished, that brings you calming to your spirit.Have you ever needed "Nagomi?" Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailI grew up always wanting to be liked and accepted. It was hard for me to understand how someone got the courage to disagree with another's opinion or suggest what they wanted to do instead of going along with the crowd. I never wanted to risk doing those things because I wanted to be liked. During my doctoral studies, we were given an assignment to write a growth plan, giving a timeline, points of actions, resources needed, outcomes defined. I chose my desired growth was to become someone who was willing to speak up for my own opinion. I worked hard at that assignment and I can tell you today, I made a change in myself. And guess what? I don't think that the new "me," so to speak, has become any less liked than before I gained that skill. That is one of my reinvention stories.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailAs you know, I have been writing in my journals since 2004 after a young English major from St. Ben's University, named Katie Silus, introduced them to me on a plane from Denver to Minneapolis. We exchanged addresses before disembarking and two weeks later, I received a small Moleskine journal and a salsa recipe in the mail from Katie. She changed my life. I am in Journal #23. I number each page in my journal and invite people to play the "journal game" by choosing a number. I turn to that page, read what is written, and a conversation often begins. It's really a connector. But more importantly, I have followed Katie Silus's advice on keeping a journal. She said I could write thoughts, quotes, things others say, things I observe, draw pictures, press flowers...and I have done all of that. My journals are filled mostly with quotes. When I die and one reads my journals, they will know who I am by the quotes I have chosen. The quotes reflect what kind of life I hope to live, what I value, and reflect the virtues I strive for. I always keep my journal with me in case I need to record something meaningful...and there are so many meaningful things to remember in life if we stay alert to them.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailRemember a while back when I shared the story about the greedy King, who never smiled? He learned that there was a magical quiltmaker living in the mountains. He asked one of his soldiers why he had never received a quilt from the quiltmaker. The soldier replied, "Because she only gives her quilts to the poor." When the king demanded she give him a quilt, she refused. He became obsessed with having one, but no matter what he said to the old woman, she refused. Finally, she said, "Alright, make a gift of everything you own, give everything away, and then I will make you a quilt." It was most difficult for the king, but soon, he complied with the old woman's demand and slowly began giving away his treasures. A strange thing began to happen. the more he gave away, the happier he became. He began smiling. While he gave, the old woman worked on his quilt. Finally, it was finished, and she went down the mountain to search for the king. She found him in tattered clothes with holes in his boots. She handed him the quilt. He asked what it was for, and she reminded him that she promised to give him one of her quilts when the day came that he had given all he had to the poor. He told the old woman that he may look poor now, but his heart was bursting with happiness, and he felt he was the richest man around. (The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau)Ah, interesting how when he gave his attention to giving and helping the poor, he became the happier, truly rich in spirit. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailLast week during class, I showed my students a video clip on being resilient. After it was over, I asked them to write down everything they could remember from the clip. I'd like to ask you to do a similar exercise. Take a piece of paper and pen and for 30 seconds, write down everything and everyone you do not want to take for granted. Did it get easier the more you wrote or harder?Today we signed our new wills. What a great reminder that life is short, and there are people and things that we hold precious. Let's not waste time wishing we had not taken them for granted. Now, keep writing on that list!Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailIf you reflect with me for one minute who were the three kindest people you know, who might you choose? What is the evidence that points to the reason you chose them? Would you be in someone's top 3 list of kind people? What would the evidence be that they might choose you?What gives me hope today is that kindness in the end is always stronger than hatred. It lingers in someone's life in a positive way. In a lasting way. Let's all choose kindness.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailBonnie Benard, wrote, Resiliency: What We Have Learned, in which she identifies four questions to help understand one's meaning in life. We should consider asking ourselves: 1) Who am I? 2) What do I love? 3) How shall I live? and 4) How can I make a difference. "If there is meaning," says Benard, "there is purpose." Notice that purpose does not necessarily have anything to do with your career or how you make a living. It can include those, but it doesn't have to. A sense of purpose is often found in having goals, educational aspirations (which I think can be curiosity, the love of reading and learning), persistence, hopefulness, and a sense of a bright future. It's sometimes hard to define. There are no rules, you get to decide what it means for you. Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThe power in stories is that you can use the same story to support many different ideas or concepts. You can also tell stories over and over because not only do we learn something different each time we hear a story, but stories ignite something amazing...connection, hope, peace, inspiration, pleasure...and so much more. I'm reminded this week of a story I have told many times in these podcasts. I truly believe it's one of the most powerful stories I tell and is absolutely the best story to introduce today's podcast. There was a monk who was walking down a path in the village when he spied a shiny object in the dirt. He picked it up, wiped it off, and knew he was holding a gem of great value. He put it in his satchel and continued walking. Soon he met a beggar who asked him for some bread as he was so hungry. The monk said, “Sure!” And he opened his satchel to fetch his loaf of bread. As he did that, the beggar spied the shining gem and asked if he could have that instead. The monk replied, “Sure!” And he gave the beggar the gem. They parted and, in the afternoon, the monk saw the beggar walking toward him holding out the gem intending to give it back. When they met, the monk asked, “What is it, don’t you want it anymore?” The beggar replied, “No, I want whatever you have that allowed you to give it away so freely, for that is what is most precious.” 

Send us Fan MailDear Family and Friends, Have you noticed that when you look through a stained glass window, you cannot see the shapes beyond it very clearly or distinctly? You can hardly even distinguish shapes or colors. But yet there is beauty and purpose in the side you do see. Stained glass is a great metaphor for life in many ways. Today I will talk about hard things. Like looking through stained glass, we cannot see the other side of the glass clearly in order to understand. But through time, love, perseverance, and trust, we will again see beauty.Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailLiese Greensfelder, from California, decided in 1973 at 18 years of age to pursue a dream to help people in time of need, so she joined The Norwegian Committee for International Education and Youth Work to work on a Norwegian farm. She was to live with a family on their farm and work over the summer. When she arrived, there was no one at the train station to meet her. She eventually learned that her host had a stroke and was in the hospital and she would have to be in charge of the farm until he was well enough to come home. She'd never had any experience running a farm. This 18 year old girl from California was now in charge of a farm in Norway!! She had to learn how to milk the many cows, take care of the horses, sheep, harvest hay, tend the large garden, and upkeep the run-down farmhouse that had no indoor plumbing, and only a wood stove for heat. She spoke no Norwegian. Liese was alone. What a crisis in her life! But, as she wrote in her book, Accidental Shepherd, it opened up a new world, discovering strengths and a resilience she never knew she had. What would you have done if you had been in her shoes?Thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailMy dad was amazing at making relationships and initiating conversations with people. If you had asked him how he was so good at that art, he would probably have said, "Well, I ask a question, and then I listen." And that is exactly what he did. One of his favorite books was, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. He suggested I read it. It has since become one of my favorite books, too. It's stood the test of time and has helped me in communicating and relating to people as it did for him. You might want to put it on your list.Thanks for listening.