Author: gabriel

Personal values are those things we believe are the most important in our lives. Values exist, whether we recognize them or not. The only way to experience true joy and happiness is to live and behave according to our true values. Otherwise, we experience internal conflict and stress. This is…

If you want to do one good thing in the world, the best thing you can do is give other people joy. Joy is not dependent upon outward circumstances. It is something we can have under all conditions—whether we are sad or happy. There is a Chinese saying that goes:…

God not only shaped us uniquely, He planned every day of our life to support His shaping process. This means that nothing in our life is insignificant. God uses everything to shape us for our unique role. He wastes nothing. He gives us talents, abilities, interests, gifts, personality, and life…

Remember the Principle of Separate Realities. The way I see things is not really how things are; it’s just my own perspective. The value of anyone or anything exists solely in our perspective. If that’s true, there is no logical reason to take personally what others say or do! That…

Have you ever felt down and depressed and decided to eat a yummy dessert or candy bar to feel better? Or go shopping for a new outfit? Or go drinking with your friends? Or spend time on the internet, watching TV or a movie? How long does it make you…

What is the best way to be there for someone when they are hurting or experiencing challenging times? How can we comfort them and ease their pain and suffering? This is a story that will touch your heart and hopefully help you understand why sometimes, when we jump to the…

Shar and I just went to see the film It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, the popular PBS show host and creator. “Hi neighbor.” You can’t say those words without knowing they’re from Fred Rogers. Much of his wisdom applies to us in…

Gary Chapman, in his book Love as a Way of Life, uses a vivid metaphor describing words as either ‘bullets or seeds.’ If we use our words as ‘bullets’ with feelings of superiority and condemnation, we will not be able to restore a relationship to love. However, if we use…

Life is a continuous learning experience. Throughout our lives, we keep rising and falling, picking up important lessons along the way. Furthermore, there are many life lessons that we simply cannot learn until we face certain situations in our life. Most people would say that there are some lessons that…

Some of the most memorable lessons in life come from stories. We are meaning-seeking creatures. Stories teach, whether the storyteller intends them to or not. A Native American proverb says, “Tell me a fact and I’ll learn. Tell me a truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and…