Your Morning Cup of Inspiration

Last week, CNN posted a wonderful story about a lost sheep named “Chris” – http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/03/asia/sheep-record-wool-shearer/. Chris was found roaming wild outside the Australian capital of Canberra. Sheep typically are sheared once a year, but when they found Chris, his coat had not been sheared in 7 years. As a result, it had become so large…

Sometimes we know exactly what God’s purpose is for our lives. We have heard that still small voice inside our hearts, and we know what it is that we our called to do. And yet, we wait to do anything about it. Why? I think many of us wait because our circumstances are not perfect.…

My daughter recently went on a camping trip in Alaska. The tour group she traveled with was very careful not to tamper with nature or otherwise leave behind any evidence of their time in the wilderness (think no litter, campfire residue, etc.). They believed in “leave no trace” camping, a movement whose motto is “Take…

“Spare yourself the torture of raking over the past, but use the lessons well. Nothing in your past is wasted. It all prepares you for now.” – Anon How often do we “rake over the past” and miss the lesson? All too often, I fear. The problem for most of us is that when we…

All of us seek happiness, that elusive state of contentment in which we are satisfied emotionally, mentally and physically. The challenge in our quest for happiness is that the buck stops with us. Even though we spend our days in the midst of family members, colleagues and friends, those people cannot make us happy. While they…

My dog passed away recently. If you’ve never had a pet, it may be hard for you to understand the feelings involved in losing an animal. The relationship with a pet is like no other. Pets are companions who communicate with us without words. They provide us with (and teach us about) unconditional love, but…

True serenity is sometimes defined as the ability to remain calm in the midst of a storm. For most of us, that type of calm does not come naturally. It requires a peace of mind that is developed over time. How do we do that? Well, some people go on spiritual retreats; others meditate or…

Often when we are working toward a big goal, we enter a period when nothing seems to be happening. It is an awkward time when we don’t know for sure whether or not we will be successful. This period reminds me of the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter. On Good Friday, Jesus was crucified…

There is something comforting about having a lot of stuff. If our homes are full of things – whether those things are valuable or not – we feel like we are successful. After all, we could afford all that! However, the problem with owning too many things is that they create a lot of clutter…

We live in a culture that values being productive. I don’t happen to think that there is anything necessarily wrong with that. After all, productivity doesn’t just include fielding emails. We can produce art, music, and cuisine. We can create gardens and beautiful spaces in our homes. We are productive simply when we care for…

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