Roll Away The Stone

I listened last night to a wonderful speaker name Jurgen Matthesius give a new perspective, at least for me, on letting go of our old ways. You know those things that you carry like a wagon full of stones, never letting go of past hurts or complaints.

He spoke on a Bible verse, John 11:38 in which Lazarus is raised from the dead. Now most readers know I do not get into religion in my writings. But this story told by Jurgen was a beautiful spin on letting go of those past issues. To "roll away the stone" and "step back out into the light" gives us a new life.

I will likely write more about this as it is still sinking in. It is a story that can help you get on with life and experience a renewed chapter of greatness. So if interested, pick up and read the verse and subsequent verses. Then sit back and think about all of the past things you drag along behind you.
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Belief In Miracles

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
- Albert Einstein

The word 'miracle' comes from the Late Latin word miraculum, a wonder, marvel or amazing event. The Merriam-Webster dictionary calls it an "extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs." Or an "extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment."

There are many different stories told through out the ages of miracles. From the Bible story of Jesus turning water into wine, to Dr. Paula Mahone at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa who delivered septuplets in six minutes. The wide and varied examples of miracles would fill a multitude of books.

You are probably wondering if I believe in miracles and the answer is yes. There are things that happen in life that are simply unexplainable. But not only the unexplainable, I marvel at what we as humans can and continue to accomplish. Whether it be from divine intervention or something else, 'everything is a miracle' in my eyes.

You can find miracles in your everyday life as well. Though you might ask, "why should I believe in miracles?" My way of thinking is that by believing in miracles, we open ourselves to possibilities that otherwise we may not have considered. It will allow us to try things that without the belief would not have been tried. Others have called this type of belief a form of desperation. I call it courage to accept the impossible.

Common sense would tell you that a man could not lift a car to save another man's life, but it did happen. Or that a young boy accidentally shot in the head would live to walk out of a Brooklyn Hospital. On the surface you would say neither of these could happen, but they did. Is there an explanation, probably of some sort, but they are amazing and a belief in the miraculous certainly didn't hurt.

So as you see a wondrous sunrise or a spectacular sunset, everything in between can be viewed as a miracle. Amazing events that fill our lives each and everyday.
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Marriage Of Figaro

Today is a big day for my daughter Sarra and Chester. A wedding of two wonderful people will occur this evening. It is exciting and full of possibility when two people begin to share their lives together.



May the loving memory of today's event live on and hold them in good stead for an entire lifetime of togetherness. I wish this for them and for all married and soon to be married couples.
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Career Change

Federal Art Project, WPA, [between 1936 and 1939]

"To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly." - Henri Louis Bergson

Another great day ahead of me as my oldest son ventures back home from where he lives in Denver, Colorado. Another of those guys that is walking through a door of change currently.

For the past several years, he has been both Executive chef and Sous chef, having done very well at it. But the nature of that profession can be very difficult in terms of hours and days worked. The longevity in any one location can be short as well as other demanding aspects of the job.

He has made a career decision to go back to school and learn a new profession. It is a big step and one that has its own challenges. But it is a step out in faith to go for something that will change his life. His story is similar to those in my book, CHANGED LIVES in which a step towards something new is what begins the journey.

So while you sit and worry about your current circumstance, life if moving on with or without you. The only person that can achieve things for you, is you. By making that first step through a door of decision will put you on a path to something new.

For advice on seeking a new career, I suggest a good informational site on the USAA website. They offer a checklist and "no, I get nothing as an endorsement". It is one of several great sites out on the web providing great advice.

So make that decision and walk through that door. So many have and so will you.
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