In my community the nonstop noise of new construction all around sometimes makes working from home difficult. At the same time however, several grocery store parking lots where older motorhomes are parked appear to host homeless families. The staggering gap between affordable family housing and inadequate take-home-pay is unsettling. Current demographic projections show 70% of the world living in cities by 2050, and trends indicate that as cities develop and enhance their infrastructure, Continue Reading
Adult autistics – are they doomed to solitude?
Seldom heard are the stories of autistic adults. And rarely reported are the challenges of those who seek companionship. It's believed that autism blocks the ability to intercommunicate and express feelings in a normal way. These difficulties often relegate those diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to solitude, even though they express a deep wish to love another. We may think of our own efforts to build relationships as pertaining to the heart, but for solutions Continue Reading
News Release – Annual Meeting 2016
Boston, MA — When Christian Scientists convened in Boston, Massachusetts, Monday, June 6, for the annual meeting of their denomination, they faced a question that many mainline Christian churches also confront: can church be relevant today? Their perspective on this question—as on just about everything else—runs counter to the popular narrative. “There’s a universal hunger for the heartfelt experience of God’s saving power,” said Margaret Rogers, chairwoman of the five-member lay board of Continue Reading
Environmental cleanup found in harmonious attitudes
From pictures of cows grazing amidst smouldering forests in the Amazon, to surfers cresting a wave of garbage off the shore of Indonesia, the environmental degradation and impurities evidenced on the earth are compounding. A recent World Health Organization news release says that dramatic changes are needed to protect the health and longevity of mankind. As the inhabitants of this globe, we are all being called to action, and a pure environment must be our priority. At odds with purifying the Continue Reading
Eternal life means living spiritually
There are literally hundreds if not thousands of articles on aging gracefully. In Every Man a King, Orison Swett Marden muses, 'Better than the art of growing old gracefully is the secret of not growing old at all.” Although Marden’s 1906 “secret” focused on how mind and thought can influence one’s longevity, today’s headlines portray the “secret” as a pill which purports to extend the normal human age span an additional forty years. ( Can people really die of old age?) Not to be outdone, Continue Reading
Resolutions Rebooted
It’s that time of year when somewhere around 92% of us who made New Year’s resolutions, have lost the momentum of our efforts to change and are commiserating with St. Paul, “My own behaviour baffles me. For I find myself not doing what I really want to do but doing what I really loathe.” (Romans 7:18,19 - Phillips) Despite the promise of better days ahead, the urgent effort for reform is dropped and we return to the old ways, in many cases with feelings of remorse, failure and guilt. Continue Reading
All I want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep
A proper amount and quality of sleep are considered essential to an active, healthy life. At the holidays, lack of sleep can be a big issue. With the season’s demands, we can be loaded with everything from sending cards, shopping for gifts and special travel, to hours of baking and decorating. Especially now, our rest time needs to be refreshing and satisfying. Despite much advice on bettering one’s sleep, many people still experience varying degrees of sleeplessness that negatively impact their Continue Reading
Comfort, not loneliness, this season
For many, the holidays can bring on a sense of loneliness and isolation. But this need not be so. Many advisors today encourage looking at each moment of each day to find reasons to be grateful. Often, though, it takes a stronger anchor than positive thinking to break through loneliness. An approach that recognizes a divine Love and power always with us can actually heal loneliness and make our holidays rich and joyful. In the Bible’s book of Romans, the apostle Paul defines our Continue Reading
A change is gonna come – blessings for all!
There have been times in my life when I thought I needed to change and then there have been times when life just shoved me out of the plane. Regardless, to make a progressive move, I’ve had to quiet fear and trust in something I believe at a deep level--that there’s a divine Love that is always going before me. This week, Oprah Winfrey’s landmark television event called “Belief,” encourages us to explore how our beliefs shape our experience. Wednesday’s episode, “A Change is Gonna Come,” Continue Reading
You get to keep it forever
Some of my dearest friends live in Roseburg and in the wake of yesterday’s shootings, a permeating and tangible flood of love is pouring into their community. I found this promise in my hymnal - “Earth has no sorrow but Love can remove.” With that sparkle of hope, I share my own experience of love removing sorrow and my prayers for the dear families and friends of Roseburg. She left us abruptly and without warning. I was advised to be grateful that she didn’t suffer. That didn’t Continue Reading