22Feb 2016 by CJ

Judgements are not just for others, but for ourselves

Life & Living, Youth
“We should be rigorous in judging ourselves and gracious in judging others.” – John Wesley What does it say about a person who’s quick to judge and condemn others, but rarely turns the magnifying glass on themselves? I’m guilty as charged I’m afraid – to some extent we all are. Far too often, my high ideals leave me in continually judgement when they aren’t met by those closest to me. I have no more right to judge others on what’s right or wrong than anyone else in this world, and yet it’s so easy to fall into that trap day in and day out. I sometimes wonder if we’re afraid to pass judgement on ourselves – afraid to see the inequities and insecurities that live deep within us all. For…
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18Feb 2016 by CJ

A home is made of love not bricks

Life & Living
“There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” – Jane Austen Today I realized that “home” is such an amazing place to return to. Yes, there’s no denying my admiration for my current dwelling place. But to tell you the truth, I admired my first home pretty much the same way I admire my new one (the most recent is 15 years old; the latter was 91 years old). The reason is simple really – it’s not the “house” and all its furnishings and decorations which truly make it feel like “home”. No, it’s the person I live there with. I can say with complete honesty and sincerity that no matter where I may purchase a house over the course of my lifetime, it’s my wonderful wife who…
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15Feb 2016 by CJ

The right thing is not so simple in reality

Life & Living
“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple and the simple thing is the right thing.” – Oscar Wilde While I consider myself a fan of Oscar Wilde’s inspiring writings, I’m not sure I fully agree with his quote above. “Life is simple and the simple thing is the right thing.” In a perfect world maybe. But we don’t life in a perfect world. We live in a world where people are incredibly complex, making what appears to be a simple resolution impossible to carry out. In short, logic is often superseded by one’s own pride, ego and perception of themselves, not to mention what they consider to be right and wrong. Trying to tell such individuals what’s the “right thing” often leads down a path of personal…
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14Feb 2016 by CJ

Regrets have no place in the present

Life & Living
“It’s not just other people we need to forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn’t do. For all the things we should have done. You can’t get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.” – Mitch Albom My wife and I are in the process of planning a trip to New Jersey. New Jersey you might ask? Of all the places in the world to visit? We spent the first 39 years of our lives there. That’s where we met, got married, bought our first home and countless other memories too numerous to mention. But beyond that, when we moved to Colorado almost two years ago, the most difficult thing to leave behind were some truly amazing people we were fortunate enough…
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11Feb 2016 by CJ

Effective communication, is it really that hard?

Life & Living, Youth
“Every word has consequences. Every silence, too.” – Jean-Paul Sartre There’s a delicate balance which exists in the way we communicate. Some people lack a social filter – often saying whatever comes to their mind with little consideration of how those words might affect other people. Others are more comfortable staying silent – possessing a relevant and many times astute opinion, but refusing to share it with anyone around them. The place to be is somewhere in the middle really. Telling someone who spent much of the day preparing a meal from scratch that it wasn’t very good is not a constructive use of words (or a suggested reaction for newly married couples trying to impress their spouse). Sitting by idly with no opinion or feedback when someone is seeking…
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