I was born in Anchorage, Alaska and I love the history and symbolism of that northern land. In the nineteenth century, many prospectors came to Alaska to find gold and riches. Few of those people found any gold. But I firmly believe that we have the power to find gold in any situation. I know this because…
Category: Inspirational
Is The Future Hopeless?
The world feels darker these days, doesn’t it? Every day brings a new headline that is seemingly worse than the day before: Politics, disease, war, pollution, terrorism, hacking, natural disasters, school shootings, social upheaval, and a general feeling of fear, rebellion, or outright hatred. The world, it seems, is drifting into darkness. And it makes the best of us wonder, is the…
We Become What We Worship
We become what we worship. That is to say, we emulate—or become like—the people (and things) we most admire. To understand this concept, we have to understand the origins of the word worship. The word worship comes from the Old English worðscip or wurðscip —or worthship—meaning “condition of being worthy, dignity, glory, distinction, honor, renown.” What Does It Mean to Worship? To worship something…
Starstuff Pondering Stars
Even in the midst of terrible disasters, we can point to the smoke and wreckage and see hope—and in so doing “touch the face of God.”
The Beauty of Your Brokenness | Kintsugi
Strangely enough, the most beautiful things in our lives spring from the broken things within ourselves. Don’t get me wrong, a prolonged feeling of brokenness can be unhealthy and damaging—but periodic feelings of brokenness are actually quite necessary for overall growth. We become stronger people when we are forced to reevaluate and rebuild our lives. J.K. Rowling once…
Hope Changes Everything
My new novel opens with what I can only describe as a dark, gloomy, and near-hopeless situation. It begins with a newborn baby boy being abandoned in a cemetery—left to die on a cold, October night. But he doesn’t die, and I’ll tell you why.
How Losing Your Self-Esteem Is a Good Thing
The burden you carry is partly because in our culture we view ourselves as separate individuals. So we think a lot about how we’re doing—how we feel about ourselves. You don’t need to do that. Let go of that. Because, in fact, we are not separate individuals but interconnected with each other.
Don’t Give Up. The Cannons Are Coming…
Whenever I’m feeling discouraged, I’m reminded of a true story from the American Revolutionary War. To me, this story is a testament of the power of persistence in the most difficult of circumstances. In January of 1776, the American cause was on the brink of ruin. In fact, things were so bad that General Washington (who rarely ever allowed himself…