Category: Contemporary Issues

Why I Trust In Hope

“The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.  The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.  (Marcus Aurelius)

 

In the past, I have had no success in conquering the first rule of Aurelius. Therefore, I have not been able to proceed to the second rule. When in the past, due to an unsettled spirit, a metaphorical/existential fork in the road has appeared before me, my spirit has imploded.  This is no way to live. Too many forks in the road, too many decisions to be made to have a troubled spirit.  That’s why I decided to seek out the spirit and confront it head on.  And as a result of this quest, I have found my trust in hope.

Continue reading “Why I Trust In Hope”

Standards of Hope

“People never improve unless they look to some standard or example higher and better than themselves.” (Tyron Edwards – 1809-1894)

 

 

 

 

There are groups and individuals with which we have contact.  Some inspire us, some attempt to control us, others categorize us.  How do we find those who will give us fresh perspective, give us affirmation, give us friendship?  Are we looking?                                                                               Continue reading “Standards of Hope”

The Language of Hope

 

“Instead, evaluate what you are doing, why you are doing it, and where accomplishing it will take you.  If you don’t have a good answer, then stop.” (from The Daily Stoic:366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living, Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman)

How do you convince yourself and others that you live in hope?  How do you communicate the intensity of your emotions leading you to a future rooted in hope?

Continue reading “The Language of Hope”

Melancholy’s Hold

“Something happened along the way, what used to be happy was sad. Something happened along the way and yesterday was all we had.”  (Earth, Wind, and Fire – Greatest Hits, 1998)

 

 

 

 

Another rainy day – I have no desire to run and jump in puddles.  I am too old for that.  What will I do while I wait for the sun to return?

The rain increases in intensity.  I begin to wonder if the sun will ever show up again.  Three, now four days of continuous cold rain, darkness and drear – where is the sun?  Where is the brightness and warmth?

Continue reading “Melancholy’s Hold”

Bearing Defeat

“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.”       Robert G. Ingersoll               (1833-1899)

 

 

 

 

Don’t spend too much time worrying about the source of hope in your life.  Just use your hope to fulfill some noble purpose.

As many of you know, the theme of my blog is, “The Power and Promise of Hope.”  As a person of faith, my strength comes from the hope I have in a Triune God.  I realize not everyone shares that same source of hope and strength.

That being said, I have not always found my strength in God to be an immediate source of hope.  I have not always found the courage to bear adversity with the knowledge that my defeat will only be temporary in nature.

Continue reading “Bearing Defeat”

Crushing Hope

You’ve got no choice.

Turn off the news.  Go outside and take a deep breath.  Do the one thing you know will bring a smile to your face.  Forget your troubles for an hour.

Continue reading “Crushing Hope”

Exquisite Kindness

Exquisite Kindness

A day or two ago, I was surfing Facebook sites to which I post.  On the website of one of the churches I served was a note from a church member that stopped me in my tracks.  I have no real idea what led that church member to write what he/she did.  But that post reminded me that in the midst of a difficult world there are folks who exhibit exquisite kindness.

Continue reading “Exquisite Kindness”

When To Give Up Hope

Hope is not something you and I were meant to hold on to until better times showed up.   Hope isn’t the ultimate healer of all of our problems.  Hope is a state of mind, a worldview, an attitude that transcends how we look back at the past and how we encounter the present.  As you and I approach our unique futures, hope is not intended to be the automatic antidote for all things problematic.

Continue reading “When To Give Up Hope”

Reaching, Always Reaching

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal.  The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.  It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream.  It is not disgrace to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.  Not failure, but low aim, is a sin.” (Benjamin Mays – 1894-1984)

I wasted a day yesterday and for the first time I can remember, I was, I am aware indeed that it was a wasted day.

Continue reading “Reaching, Always Reaching”

The Last of the Human Freedoms

“The last of the human freedoms:  to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”                                           (Viktor Frankl  1905-1997).

One of the greatest freedoms we have is to read without fear.  It is the freedom to learn, to grow, to experience the lives of others through the work of authors who offer us insight, inspiration, affirmation, and accountability.

We get to choose what we will read and what we will learn.  Even when everything seems to be stripped away from us, it isn’t until we surrender our minds and our attitudes to others that we experience true defeat.  Never give up hope and faith in the triumph of goodness.  This is one of the messages I took away from reading Viktor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning.

Continue reading “The Last of the Human Freedoms”