Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. - Dr. Seuss
Article written by Alex Blackwell. Connect with me on Facebook.
Opportunities to help one other appear every day. We either acknowledge them, or we don’t.
During a recent trip to Minneapolis, my family and I visited The Basilica of Saint Mary. The Basilica’s beauty is matched only by its reverence. The white granite exterior welcomed us as we opened the massive wooden door to enter. Once inside, its architecture was simply amazing. Long rows of pews lead to an altar perfectly positioned under a stunning copper dome.
In one those pews was a man, alone and seemingly distraught. Sitting on the edge of the wooden bench, he grasped the pew in front on him. He buried his head between his hands and appeared to be praying.
I walked by him on my way to get a better look at the altar. Stopping for a moment, I considered sitting next to him. He was clearly in pain and maybe I could offer some relief. Instead, I continued to the altar. He wanted to be alone, I reasoned. But I knew better. He needed some comfort and I didn’t help. Read more
The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination. - Don Williams Jr.
Article by BridgeMaker contributor Ralph Jean-Paul. Please visit Ralph at Potential2Success.com.
I’ve been feeling very nostalgic lately and I’m not sure why. Perhaps it is because I celebrated a birthday recently where I spent time reflecting on my past. Or maybe it’s because of all of my high school friends that have been sending friend requests on Facebook. Whatever the reason, memories from my childhood have been on my mind.
Those memories led me to visit my old neighborhood. As I was driving down the familiar street on the way to our old apartment complex, I glanced at an office park. I was unable to look at the parking lot of this park without memories of year 15 of my life rushing back to me. It looked like any normal office park around town but to me, it had a special meaning.
This particular office park was where I first learned how to drive. One day when the businesses closed, my sister drove the short distance to the office park and sat in the passenger seat while I navigated my way around the turns and speed bumps. I got the hang of driving fairly quickly and I was driving on the state roads and highways just a few weeks later.
Revisiting my past made me think about the different paths my life has taken. Read more
The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. - Frank Lloyd Wright
Article written by Alex Blackwell. Connect with me on Facebook.
The early-morning quiet is my time for reflection and prayer. The silence provides a suitable tabernacle for my soul. In the stillness, I consider the day to come.
My thoughts drift from the necessary and to the spectacular. I consider my day’s schedule, the tasks to accomplish and the appointments to keep. After checking off the must-dos, my mind goes deeper. It goes to a place absent of urgency – it goes to a beautiful place.
Our lives can be anything we choose to make them. We can struggle with the complexity or we can delight in the simplicity. We can be overwhelmed by the ugliness or we can celebrate the beauty. I choose to look for the beauty. Read more
To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the music the words make. – Truman Capote
Article written by Alex Blackwell. Connect with me on Facebook.
Darren Rowse of Problogger.net recently issued a challenge to other bloggers. His idea is to create list posts that highlight important archived posts. He calls this the 7 Link Challenge (posts, or articles, have unique links that associate the name of the post to the writer’s blog) – I’m in Darren!
The BridgeMaker is approaching 200 posts. When the blog launched in September, 2008 it never occurred to me it would make it to 200. Each post means something special to me (you can read them all by visiting the Archives) and represent moments of faith, inspiration and change in my life. I would not take back one word I have written. Read more
Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand. – Emily Kimbrough
Article written by guest contributor Tara Mohr. Visit her at Wise Living.
Even in the struggle, you are loved
You are being loved not in spite of the hardship, but through it.
The thing you see as wrenching, intolerable, life’s attack on you,
is an expression of love.
There is the part of us that fears and protects and defends and expects,
and has a story of the way it’s supposed to turn out.
That part clenches in fear, feels abandoned and cursed. Read more
