Tag: Mid Life

Holy Spirit

It felt good to be back in the classroom last night. You could sense, and feel, and see God’s Holy Spirit in the classroom.

This is our son’s third year in Catechism. This is my second year having the privilege to be a classroom helper. However, I missed all four September classes due to my business travel schedule.

A colleague commented at the end of the business day, “I don’t know how you do it”.

I asked her, “You know I write five blogs, everyday, then run five miles, and volunteer for things our son is involved in”?

And she already knows how hard I work as a professional speaker – she is, after all, a colleague, and a parent, and Catholic, etc.

What I have learned is that being incredibly busy is part of life. Or not. Figure out what you want to contribute and then go from there. Carpe diem.

Simple Man, Simple Post

Visiting today, here in Portland, Maine. On the phone last night my wife (and son) asked how my day was.

“I left the house at 7:30AM. I got to the Hotel room to finish the day’s activities at 8:30PM”, I said, not complaining, just stating the facts.

We all should feel blessed beyond measure for what we get and what we make of what we get.

Otherwise, life might get the best of us.

It’s a daily choice. Sometimes even an hour to hour or minute to minute choice.

Six Months?

Six months ago, I accepted our Pastor’s challenge to start everyday on my knees. Our Pastor would ask the congregation every Sunday, “How many of you started the day on your knees”?

Literally, no one’s hand went up. Over 1,000 people and no one? Impossible.

So, on April 1, 2009, I started. It’s been six months and I haven’t stopped. Does this make me a righteous person. Not even close.

Does it make me more mindful of each day being a special gift and privilege? Absolutely.

What’s stopping you? Seriously. How hard is it to do this every day. It isn’t. Which brings us back to the original point.

It’s been six months. And six months from now, it will have been a year. Six months from now will mean what to you?

I Don’t Know How to Start

A lifetime of learned behaviors. Life is hard. And mostly difficult. And busy. And distracting.

Some days, maybe while watching a movie or TV show, we see a Family that seems to have it all together and wonder why we can’t live like that.

It’s a movie, okay? It’s not real. Yet perhaps there’s some compromise between what’s portrayed in books and movies, and what is our current reality.

Maybe. maybe not.

I’d like to find out.

Carpe diem, jeff đŸ™‚

Failing?

Failing? Probably. It weighs heavy on my soul and heart. I’d really like to be a better:

  • Son
  • Brother
  • Nephew
  • Uncle

Yet after decades of learned behavior, there’s a struggle deep down inside that seems overwhelming.

Overwhelming, yes. Impossible, no.

The people involved in this are going to have to want this too. It takes two. This is not a one-sided challenge, nor a one-sided opportunity. Is it me, or is that ticking sound the clock?