Category Archives: Self-improvement

DETROIT – FEBRUARY 05: Willie Parker #39 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, runs for a Super Bowl record 75-yard touchdown in the third quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL at Ford Field on February 5, 2006, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) When you hear the name Willie Parker, what doContinueContinue reading “Get Your Mind Right”

The human tongue is the most dangerous weapon in the world. So small, yet so powerful. A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word outContinueContinue reading “Walk the (Good) Talk”

Having a mother who is 100% Syrian, and a grandfather who immigrated from Damascus, Syria, I knew there was a high probability my dominant ethnicity would originate from the Arab world. My father, who has a very Italian last name, would certainly contribute some Italian to my DNA makeup too. Well, the verdict is in.ContinueContinue reading “I’m a Gracist American”

“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up,ContinueContinue reading “Teaching & Learning”

The late, great Fred Rogers treated everyone like a neighbor. When Mister Rogers extended the invitation, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” he was genuinely humanizing each of us and modeling the behavior of a loving neighbor. It was the same model of love the Good Samaritan offered in the Bible. This standard of behavior isContinueContinue reading “Won’t You Help Me Grow Neighborly Love?”

And though this world, with devils filled,should threaten to undo us,we will not fear, for God hath willedhis truth to triumph through us.The Prince of Darkness grim,we tremble not for him;his rage we can endure,for lo, his doom is sure;one little word shall fell him.Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” translated by FrederickContinueContinue reading “One Little Word: Forgiveness”

If you’re like me, then you’ve learned attempting to control external circumstances is futile. Even if you kid yourself into believing you’re in control, eventually you’ll find out you’re not. That “eventually” could be a very long time, even years. And that “eventually” could be a big wake-up call. You can figuratively (and perhaps literally)ContinueContinue reading “Self-Control is Really the Only Control We Have”

How do you handle silence? Do you like it? Do you crave it? Do you find it so awkward that you’re always reaching for your smartphone to distract yourself from it? I cherish it. In fact, I hold silence so dear that I believe it’s the greatest gift we have. I am called to teachContinueContinue reading “The Gift of Silence”

Before you make any resolves for the new year, find a why worthy of change. Too many resolutions are lukewarm and bear some ironic resemblance to our dominant problem in life, i.e. our unwillingness to exercise our liberty to gain true freedom, passion, and purpose. In other words, the change we seek to make isContinueContinue reading “Find a Why Worthy of Change”

Let’s be real. After all, we’re human. We need a turning point, a point at which we’re free from our past and free for our future. Freedom from the prisons we’ve constructed for ourselves that keep us trapped, feeling unhappy, void, and hopeless. Freedom for a future of joy, meaning, and greatness. Freedom to liveContinueContinue reading “Freedom From, Freedom For”