Sharing insights and inspiration that happen over a cup of tea

Sharing insights and inspiration that happen over a cup of tea

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Category: Joy

  • Every life should be blessed with a Charlotte

    Hanging on my kitchen wall is a little plaque given to me by my dear friend, John. He found it in a quaint Irish shop in Smithville and bought one for me and one for his wife, Rose. It reads, "Sharing a cup of tea with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent."…

  • Liberating the heart with God’s grace

    “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”                                                                                                                                                                   The words of the minister hung in the air.…

  • Hope is the reason for joy, even in difficult times

    On the first Christmas, the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, assuring them, “I bring you tidings of great joy;” news bringing them not an ephemeral experience of happiness, but a deep, abiding experience of peace and an assurance of God’s love. “Joy is the air Christians breathe,” Pope Francis has said, and…

  • Make room in the pew for joy

    The man behind me in the checkout line greeted the cashier with the standard, “How are you?”                                                                              …

  • The humility of the Nativity is the heart of Christmas

    I was first introduced to Harry Emerson Fosdick through a quote: “… real Christians do not carry their religion; their religion carries them. It is not weight, it is wings. It lifts them up, it sees them over hard places. It makes the universe seem friendly, life purposeful, hope real, sacrifice worthwhile. It sets them…

  • ‘A perfect dose of grace’ for all seasons

     This small but powerful book of stories is the perfect read for you when you want to reward yourself with some well-deserved quiet time! Rabbi Irwin Kula, author of “Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life” wrote, “If you want to find God, know love, and truly understand these are the same, read this beautiful book. But be prepared…

  • Friends are the spirit of laughter

    Surely, if God has given us any amazing gifts, the gift of friends is one of the best, especially the kind of friend who lasts a lifetime; the kind that is genuine and allows you to be the person you really are. My friend Rich is a friend like that. Our families have been friends…

  • A new blog mixes faith and humor — both necessary for life!

    I love my occasional lunches with a writer friend of mine, Christina, who inevitably keeps me in  stitches  through the entire meal.  It's such a relief from the drama of life! We were talking recently about the demands of our present work situations when she quipped, “Don’t you just love it when you get that…

  • Refresh the happiness page of life

    Being the founder and facilitator of an on-line network of intercessory pray-ers has had an    unexpected perk – outside of the privilege of praying for others. The payer network, and the daily requests of those who carry the cross of Christ, has the unique ability to keep me grounded in gratitude, encouraging me to…

  • Every community needs a Director of First Impressions

    Yesterday, while visiting my sister-in-law who is caring for her mom—a Hospice patient—I heard a   funny, but also disturbing, story about what happened when my sister-in-law called the parish to ask for a priest to come and visit. The conversation went something like this: “Hello?”  (no introduction) “Oh … Hi, is this the Church of the…