I want to thank those of you who have viewed and commented on this blog over the past year.  I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to write and share ideas with you.  It is always interesting for me to compile the numbers and see what posts are most visited each year. Drum roll...

Years ago when I was running the furniture bank, I recruited a lovely man by the name of Ron Smith (in picture on far left) to be my warehouse manager.  Ron is six foot four and ex-military.  He likes things nice and orderly and is one of the hardest working people I had ever met.  He is a...

I have been reflecting a lot upon the idea of growing a community of great neighbors. I am encouraging our Hillside friends to get to know their neighbors and learn about their hopes and dreams for their neighborhood.  One-by-one we are seeing our friends in Hillside gain confidence and...

This past week, Jamie Arpin-Ricci a fellow urban missionary, pastor, church planter and writer, tweeted these words, “Everyone suffers from poor mental health at times. We’re not so different from those with mental illness.  End the stigma once & for all.”  Working with people...

Thought you all might enjoy reading this interview in the latest edition of Style Weekly: Just click the image below to get to the...

I have three teenage daughters and as they face the challenges inherent in being teenagers, I seem to be reliving those times in my own life.  My eldest is a rising senior and as she looks with anticipation toward college and a very bright future, I feel her anxiety.  Will she get into the...

A few years ago I wrote this ode to honor my mother.  At that time, I think I only had 4 people reading my blog, so I decided to repost with a few modifications. Several years ago my youngest daughter said to me, “Mom why aren’t you a normal mom?”  I asked her to define “normal...

For spring break my family took a five day Caribbean cruise.  One of our stops was a private island off the coast of Haiti owned by Royal Caribbean.  As we basked in the sun, sipped on tropical drinks and feasted at the all you could eat buffet, I felt a deep sense of guilt thinking about...

photo © 2009 Robert S. Donovan | more info (via: Wylio)I love this time of year because I can sit in the sun and allow it’s warmth to penetrate my skin and thaw me from the outside in.  This year, spring carries with it so much promise, hope and joy.  It is a literal representation of...

I have never really paid much attention to what goes on in Washington DC.  But if you have been following my blog or Facebook page, you know that the House of Representatives passed a budget this past Saturday requiring the elimination of the Corporation of National and Community Service,...

photo © 2006 Irina Iordachescu | more info (via: Wylio) I don’t know what is broken inside my brain but for some reason when things are going good, I start expecting the sky to cave in.  I seem to have an extra dose of worry built into my DNA. I spent some time on Saturday night with my...

Drum roll please…the top ten post of 2010 are as follows: #10 – The Irony of Being Called a Socialist #9 – Making Sense of the Senseless #8 – Panhandlers: To give or not to give? #7 – Racial Reconciliation in Richmond Virginia? #6 – Jesus Brought Sweet...