The Lesser Lights!
The Lesser Lights! You know what they are! Stars and the moon on a celestial level are examples. Candles, flashlights, camp fires and the like are examples on a terrestrial level. During the day we rarely pay attention to candles or flashlights! And I can’t think of a time when I have seen a star […]
What is "Awaken to Good Mourning" Anyway?
I often field the following question as I work with individuals and groups: “So Mark, what is Awaken to Good Mourning anyway?” Every time I receive that question I gladly share the details. Awaken to Good Mourning is a book read by over 40,000 people; given as gifts to the bereaved by faith organizations; shared […]
Children – Grief – The Holidays
The Holidays are upon us! Whether you celebrate Christmas, observe Hanukkah or engage in Kwanza festivities, the Holidays are here! Elements of celebration, remembrance, reflection and rejuvenation abound in each Holiday observance. For those who have lost loved ones to death within the past three years or so, the Holidays can be brutal! The death […]
An Experiment in Thanks-Giving 2013
This week ushers in the official Holiday Season, as far as I’m concerned. I know that if you were like I was this year, I was astonished to find that the local Walgreen’s began filling its shelves with Christmas merchandise around Halloween! Talk about confusing! Thanksgiving is a Holiday that is often sandwiched between these […]
The Candle vs the Dawn!
Forty or so years ago I heard the following: “Death is merely the extinguishing of the Candle because the Dawn has come.” Now I really like that! I creates a sense of comfort as I ponder the end of life . . . And yet as I think on that phrase today, another application comes […]
To Be . . . Or Not!
The late Stephen Covey said, “Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic.” What powerful words! What powerful mandates! What powerful images! I wonder what might happen if, for a single day, each one of us took this challenge to heart? I wonder! Instead of passing judgement we share insight! Instead […]
Moments in Time!
Back in 1974 I read a powerful book by C.S. Lewis entitled “The Screwtape Letters.” My favorite quote from that book and perhaps my all time favorite quote from any book goes like this: “For the Present is the Point at which Time Touches Eternity.” What that says to me is that everything I do […]
Dreams Die Hard!
Dreams . . . dreams that are worth pursuing; dreams that possess potential to be life-altering; dreams that take up residence deep in one’s soul die hard. Sometimes they never die! They smoulder and simmer. They bubble and boil. They rumble and roll. They keep one awake at night. They lift with anticipation. They drop […]
What We Leave Behind!
The late Stephen Covey wrote that we should “Live, love, laugh, leave a legacy.” Now at first glance each of us might go through a little mental checklist. It might go something like this: “Live? Yeah I do that most of the time! Laugh? Absolutely! Especially when the joke is funny! Love? I sure do […]
Imagination!
History! It is important is so many ways! Studying history helps us understand the foundations of societies, cultures, families, corporations and individuals! Reviewing history creates opportunities to gather wisdom and insight so that we might avoid duplicating mistakes of the past. Analyzing history opens the door for understanding the paths that have landed us where […]