There are numerous research studies on the benefits of gratitude, but there may be some unintended consequences when it comes to how we think about it. Being grateful is encouraged from an early age, but often not just as a choice, but rather as a mandate.

The bible offers verses that encourage community and connection … such as “two are better than one” and “don’t forsake assembling of yourselves together”. When I read these, I sometimes take it as merely a suggestion.

I recently watched a documentary on gold miners in early California. I was astonished how incredibly hard their lives were, often with little reward of a nugget found. I’m sure what kept them going was the possibility of striking it rich.

The Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to most of our normal routines. As a result, we had not travelled very much. Eager to take an overdue vacation, we scheduled a two-week trip to Italy, France and Spain. I eagerly jumped into the planning and organizing for this trip.

What if there are proven, healthy nutrients for relationships? What if we have learned to eat a diet of junk food when it comes to marriage or parenting and know little of what makes relationships grow in a healthy way.

Like the way we use punctuation in language, music is separated, and structured, by these important, well-placed rests. Rests are critically important and intelligently placed by the composer for the music to make sense. But even during the rests, the song is not over … it’s just a time to wait …