Category Archives: Self-improvement

Sadly, Joanne Rogers, the wife of Fred Rogers, the creator and host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” died on Thursday at her home in Pittsburgh. Mrs. Rogers said in a TEDx Talk in 2018, “So much a part of me was Fred. One of the things he talked about was making goodness attractive, and I thinkContinue reading “143”

My life has been a series of projects. The first project spanned 17 years, and it prepared me to enter the world as an adult. My mother and father were the “project managers,” and I am grateful for their stewardship. The next project formally equipped me as a problem-solver and ran 5.5 years. When IContinue reading “Life is a Series of Projects”

What does a farmer do before she plants seeds? She tills the soil. Tilling is actually a form of deep cultivation that is necessary when preparing a new garden bed or when adding large amounts of organic material. Tilling will cultivate the soil 8-10 inches deep, perhaps even more if you are creating a newContinue reading “Planting Seeds in a Pandemic”

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You can’t make everyone happy.” Someone said that to me this week, and it triggered my reflection about their motive for making that statement. You see, it was pretty evident they were hungry for approval. Their quest to please others was really a reflection of their need for love andContinue reading “Making Everyone Happy”

A man was walking to his car which was parked on the street, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A Orthodox priest happened to be going down the same street, and when he saw the man, he passed by onContinue reading “The Parable of the Good American”

We all need a safe space where we can explore what lies beyond our brokenness and limitations. Even if that space is available for only moments at a time, if it’s truly a safe space, it’s sacred because it also points us to the safe people who love and care about us. I am gratefulContinue reading “Your Neighborhood Sphere”

What if everywhere you went this week, physically as well as virtually, you imagined you were sent, in love? Your mission, your purpose for being there was to touch someone’s heart in the moment. To reach them at a very human level because of something you noticed, felt, heard them say. Imagine for every conversation,Continue reading “Sent. In Love.”

The Neighbor Economy is a free market, freewill system characterized by a spontaneous, decentralized decisions through which individuals invest in a joyful heart and return generosity to meet the needs of others. It’s a perpetual cycle of joy, generosity, gratitude and grace. Joy In the context of the Neighbor Economy, joy is not a functionContinue reading “The Neighbor Economy”

In my 51 years on Earth, I don’t recall a time like this. The longer the COVID-19 pandemic goes, the more depressed we become. It seems like America, in particular, has reached a point of systemic depression. I believe the reason is because the disease is now prevalent in small town America, “fly over” countryContinue reading “A Person to be Loved”

If we get relationships wrong, nothing else matters. Relationships are the engine of God’s transformative work in us. Here are some relational best practices, no matter your race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status: It’s notContinue reading “Today is the Only Day We Have”