A Shining Example

If you haven't done so already, watch this amazing video of a soldier being greeted by his dog when he returns home from Afghanistan. And take a lesson on exuberance, love, and gratitude.

Watch now.

Peace, all.

Karen

Happy (?) Holidays

The holiday season is here! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. I loved this time of year as a child. 

My mom made everything about it so special. From Halloween to New Year's, she created little celebrations that filled me with joy and anticipation. I still enjoy the holidays, but I have to confess that the holidays I knew as a child aren't the same now that I'm an adult. A part of it is because Mom's gone--she entered eternity 7 years ago. That loss has left a huge hole in my heart, one that seems even more bottomless this time of year. Then there's the stress. As a child, you can sail into the holidays with excitement and wonder. As an adult, you can do the same, but too few of us do so. For me, the challenge has been that I've wanted to recreate those childhood days, to bring out all those wonderful traditions, the memories of which still bring me joy, and put them into practice. But here's the thing: I'm not my mom. Not by a long-shot. I'm more driven and--big surprise--more stressed. She had a sweet, giving spirit that permeated all she did. I aspire to be like her in that, but more often than not I fail. Which only ushers in more frustration, more stress, more disappointment. 


I don't want to do that any more. I want to rediscover the joy of the holidays, but that's going to mean finding what works now rather than what worked then. The Bible tells us to come together and reason things out, so, of course, I thought of you. 

• What do you do to ensure as peaceful a holiday as possible? 
• What traditions have you kept from childhood?
• What new traditions have you established?
• What's your favorite holiday activity?
• And last but certainly not least, what's your favorite holiday memory? 

Come, friends, let's share and reason together. I can't wait to hear what you have to say.

Karen

The Beauty of Words--Integrity

Wonderful definitions everyone. Here's what Webster's has to say about Integrity:

1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness

Incorruptibility. Now there's a word you don't hear often in today's world. And one we see lived out even less often.

Here are some synonyms for Integrity:

honor, good faith, sincerity, dependability, trustworthiness; authenticity, genuineness; credibility, goodness, probity, purity, righteousness

Wow. That one could could contain such richness of meaning, such depth of impact. Imagine it. This one word, if lived daily, could change so much of our world! No wonder the very speaking of it fills my heart with longing...

This, friends, is the power of words. Not just that they are a beautiful experience on the tongue, or, at times, a magnificent symphony to the ear. But rather that, when truly understood and embraced, they hold the power of transformation. So today, this is my prayer for all of us. That we may shine the light of Integrity in this sorrowing world.

Please, God, may we be known for Integrity. May we savor not only the word, but absorb all its multifaceted meaning. Let it seep deep into our hearts and spirits that each of us may, with God's help, act and speak and think with Integrity as a guide.

Let us treat those around us with honor. Let us show good faith in all our dealings. May our sincerity shine in a world tarnished with falsehood. May those around us know they can depend on us, that our word is, indeed, our bond. No matter what. May we seek, in all our ways, to prove ourselves trustworthy, to be authentic in our faith and genuine in our service. May we give no cause for any to doubt our credibility. May we exercise goodness in actions, big and small. May probity marry with purity in our lives, that we seek to do right not because of acclaim or gain, but simply because it is right. And may we exercise righteousness in all we do, but not a righteousness based on self. May our righteousness stem from the only One who is truly righteous, from Him who created us all, who whispered His very breath into us that we might live.

And on that day we finally depart this world for the next, may those testifying to our lives say, without hesitation, this was rare and beautiful person, a person who lived and loved well...a person of true Integrity.

Peace, friends.

Karen

A Beautiful Word

I've been thinking about the beauty of words. How some words create images in and of themselves. And as I looked over the list of 100 Beautiful Words (see my previous blog), I realized there are words that speak beauty and nobility to me, words that contain so much meaning and emotion that I'm moved or challenged or convicted when they whisper through my mind and heart. Lately, one word has been doing all of that:

Integrity.

Even as I write it, I feel my heart move. So much is contained in that word. So much that has blessed people, so much that seems lost on today's world.

Before I go any further, though, I want to know what that word means/says to you.

What is integrity? Where do you see it? What does it mean to the world today?

Look forward to your thoughts!

Karen

Beautiful Words...100 of Them!

I'm still pondering the article on being purposeful in our word choices and use. As someone who has studied other languages (French, Spanish, and Russian), I love the physicality of words.When you speak either French or Russian, your whole lower face gets a work out. It's as though you're tasting the words as well as speaking them.

Happily, English has words like that as well. Consider the following:

• impecunious
• circuitous
• mellifluous
• exsanguinate
• ebullient
• flummery

Words like these are not only fun to use, they're fun to say. The feel of some even reflects their meaning. Impecunious has a tight, stingy feel to it. Mellifluous rolls off the tongue. Flummery feels a bit foolish as it escapes you.

I was trolling the internet, just looking for articles on felicitous (there's another one!) words, and came across a delightful site: The 100 Most Beautiful Words in the English Language.

Writers, Readers, Word Lovers, do yourselves a favor and check it out! I had a blast just trying to pronounce some of them. And I thought there were several that should have been on the list. How about you? I'll share my words after some of you share yours.

Blessings--and beautiful words--to you today.

Karen

The Beauty of (True) Words

I was challenged a few days ago to read an article by Marilyn McEntyre entitled "Letting Words Do Their Work." Because I respected the fellow editor who made the recommendation, I hopped right on over the the link.

Oh. My. Golly.

So much powerful truth contained in this article. If you're a writer, speaker, reader, or simply one who loves--truly loves--words, you've got to read this article.

Here are a few salient points that resonated:

"It is hard to tell the truth these days, because the varieties of untruth are so many, so pervasive, and so well disguised."

"Imprecision had become acceptable in the interests of generalized good feeling—and perhaps in the interests of forestalling some critical scrutiny."

"The practice of precision requires not only attentiveness and effort: it may also require the courage to afflict the comfortable and, consequently, tolerate their resentment."

"The discourse of the church, the subtleties of biblical language and the nuances of translation, the ear for poetry and care for theological distinctions may be eroded when the language of popular media is allowed to overtake the dialect of worship and conversation among believers."

"We can practice noticing how words are used and considering how they may be heard; we can pick them up from the dusty corners where most of the good ones have been consigned to disuse and reintroduce them, hoping to ambush the careless listener contented with cliché."

Check out the article and let me know what you think.

Karen

Got News?

I found an interesting report that shows the public today thinks the media is more wrong than right. You can review the report yourself, or listen to an interview about the report.

I remember the days when media reported news. When they dug in and found the facts, then disseminated it to us without bias. Walter Cronkite is still, to my mind, the quintessential reporter. He gave us the facts. Plain, simple, and powerfully true. And as a result, he was named in a poll as the "most trusted man in America." I can't think of anyone in the media today that I trust that much.

So what do you think? Where do you get your news and do you trust what you hear? How do we find journalists who report news rather than twist and turn it with commentary until you're not sure what's real and what's clearly bias? Is that even possible in today's abundantly opinionated world?

Let me know what you think.

Karen