A Beacon of Light

“Keep your needs and wants simple and enjoy what you have.”  Henry David Thoreau Discerning between what we need and what we want can be a constant struggle for many of us. One of the primary goals of advertising today is to convince consumers that we absolutely need whatever it is that is being promoted…

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.”  Charles Dickens This story was originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman’s Day magazine by Nancy W. Gavin. • • • It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no…

“When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart and you shall see that, in truth, you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”  Kahlil Gibran Our family celebration of Thanksgiving yesterday was… well,… gratifying. The presence of our three sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren warmed my heart. There were several points…

“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest, yet most powerful things humans can do for each other.”  Randy Pausch It’s 11:30 on Thursday morning — Thanksgiving Day 2023. The brilliant sunlight is highlighting the fall colors of the trees outside my window. What a show! Our home is filled with the delightful aroma of the…

“We need to keep our small businesses healthy in order to keep our economy strong.”  Keith Haynes Sure it’s easier to purchase what we need on Amazon. And yes, there are some very nice chain restaurants which serve a delicious meal. The big box stores? They serve a purpose, too. With this in mind, let’s…

“Cigarette smoking is clearly identified as the chief, preventable cause of death in our society.” C. Everett Koop I’m not a smoker. I’ve never been a smoker. And yes, this is America, so one has the right to smoke if they wish, right? When, however, one’s choice to smoke infringes upon the rights of a…

“A sense of shame is not a bad moral compass.”  Colin Powell We know the difference between right and wrong. Even when we choose to do something we know we should not do, and even though we may create all sorts of ways to justify what we’re doing, we know it’s wrong. This is because…

“If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” Meister Eckhart It was an interesting Facebook post, and it immediately caught my attention. Someone I know only through Facebook, but someone I would definitely like to know in real life, posted the following statement: “I’m still ‘foolish…

“Be happy, not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.”  Helen Barry There are times when life is not easy. Some days (or weeks, or months) can be difficult for us. We have to remind ourselves that to experience and truly appreciate happiness in life, we must endure…

“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” William Shakespeare I hate being late. For anything! I’m not exactly sure where or when I got the punctuality bug, but I definitely got it. It’s woven into the fabric of who I am, and it’s been there for as long as I can remember. The…