InSpiritry

“I love that simple story that ends on a grace note,

and you go, ‘Wow, I’m just happy to be alive right now.’”

Cameron Crowe

We all love a story; here’s a chance to hear one! 

As much as the economy needs a boost, the Friday after Thanksgiving can be more than a shopping frenzy (who thought up the frightening title Black Friday for a day people are buying gifts anyway!?). Friday, November 27, 2009, is the second annual National Day of Listening, a day to spend time in conversation with someone you care about! Sponsor National Public Radio and the event’s founder suggest we use the day to each become autobiographers, interviewing people in our lives to document their stories. (more…)

The best part of living in a small town…

Yesterday, I had lunch in Honey Grove, Texas. I was speaking to the Friends of the Library there, a group of 75 people dedicated to supporting the public library in a community of descendants of farming families. Some had lived there all their lives, but many have retired from successful careers to this struggling town of historic buildings and fond memories. My topic was Celebrating Small Town Life — (more…)

“…a little child shall lead them”

Meet Laura.

Laura is a ten year old American girl who is ready to lead. With a belief in every person’s power to make the world a better place, Laura has launched a December, 2007 project called Twenty Five Days to Make a Difference. For those whose faith experience includes a season of Advent as well as those who just love Christmas, Laura is giving us a new approach to the holidays. How? (more…)

For many of us, this week signals the start of a new school year.  Ahhh, summer is over, whether we are students, teachers, administrators, librarians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, parents or just commuters who pass through school zones.

For my part these many years later, I can still recall the smell of new books and old classrooms and almost hear the shrill exultation of that first period bell! I certainly can remember the nervousness and delight of trying new things (phonics, 3 digit numbers, cursive writing, volley ball, geometry proofs, Old English, Chemistry experiments, frog dissection…).

For those of you involved in education, I celebrate your commitment to the sacred task of empowering young hearts and minds. (more…)

          Imagine that the world had invented a new “dream product” to feed and immunize everyone born on Earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery — and helped mothers to plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer.
Then imagine that the world refused to use it.
Towards the end of this century of unprecedented discovery and invention, even as scientists discover the origins of life itself, this scenario is not, alas, a fiction. The “dream product” is human breast milk, available to us all at birth, and yet we are not using it.– UNICEF

With that thought in mind, this past week, there was a happy bit of medical news : (more…)