How many times do I jump to conclusions before I know the facts?  Way too many, particularly in my mind.  Thankfully, most of the time my better judgment stops me from speaking out loud. Typically I rebound and re-assess the situation in my mind.  However, my first reaction when something comes at me unknowingly is to react.  I have patience, but when caught off guard I am not always as gracious as I would like. The good news is I quickly rebound, reevaluate the situation, and pray for forgiveness and guidance.  It doesn’t matter whether I was right…

This past week I went to an orientation for The Power of Joy an organization inspired by The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu with Douglas Abrams.  I am completely on board with living a life of joy and spreading joy.  Personally, my joy stems from my faith. At first, my interest was piqued by social media.   The Power of Joy caught my attention because I strongly believe when we redefine love our perspective changes and opens up a world of peace, unity, and so much more.  If your heart is open to love and serve those…

What holds us back from presenting our faith first?  For me, I would say that I liked my private faith-filled life.  It was very comfortable.  I relied on Jesus and was able to serve others without many questions regarding my faith.  That routine worked for many years, but then that same faith pushed me beyond my comfort zone.  Not only was I pushed out of my comfort zone regarding my faith, but also in the delivery.  My faith is strong, but my writing skills and biblical knowledge are not something I would brag about.  The other small detail was…

So often we don’t know when we hurt people with our words.  Finding ways to minimize or eliminate harsh words is key.     We can’t take back our words.  Hence the importance of being very careful regarding the words that come out of my mouth.  In the heat of the moment, I am not always good at choosing my words.  I have made enough mistakes that I am becoming good at hearing my errors, now I am working at eliminating those moments. Being aware of our words is the first big step in minimizing the issue.  When tensions escalate…