“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.” — Saint Francis de Sales Don’t you love the image of bending your problems and difficulties “with gentleness and time.” Often we face adversity with a sense of urgency believing the current problem has to be resolved…

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I never loved another person the way I loved myself. — Mae West You have to  hand it to Mae. She was honest. I’m afraid she sums up many of us as well, we are in love first and foremost with ourselves. Our Lenten discipline of service to others begins a turnaround in our lives.…

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Whenever we turn on the blame game it keeps us from genuine communication with others, and we fortify our use of it with our individual concepts of right and wrong. The closer someone is to us, the more we use the blame device, but it’s is not limited to individuals, we do it with political…

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Milestones. We all have them and I’ve had a bunch. Today my last child is to be married.  All four were born, graduated from college, and now married. Some people congratulate you on reaching milestones, but I don’t see it as much as an accomplishment, but more of marker– A mark in the inevitable march…

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  Following up on mindfulness, it is not merely a word or a Buddhist discourse, it is a state of mind, that many Buddhists believe can eliminate all suffering. Now as someone who prays for World peace, and even asks for it every year from Santa Claus, the possibility that mindfulness ends all suffering got…

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