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Random Thoughts

Rose Mu

One of the most fascinating people I’ve met over the past year is Steve Gumaer. Steve is the founder and President of Partners Relief & Development, which provides emergency relief for millions of misplaced people. That’s a fancy of way of saying he and his team work in war zones.

Think about that for a moment. They work in war zones. To help people who are victims of the war — the lost, orphaned, homeless, hungry, cold, grieving, and sometimes tortured people who find themselves surrounded by chaos. Into this walks Steve and his team.

When Steve agreed …

Random Thoughts,

Political Rant

Ten years ago I came home from Washington DC both inspired and frustrated. I wrote the post below, and it’s surprisingly (and sadly) still accurate. It’s 2020, an election year, so the hyperbole is going to be even higher now.

So I’m reposting this for two reasons. First, to show you just how smart I was ten years ago! But more seriously because it shows there is still work to do. As I asked in a previous post, when did we get so angry with each other over things like the tax code and how to provide health care? We …

Random Thoughts,

My questions of 2019

You know what the most common thing I said in 2019 was? “Holly, go potty!” Such is life when you have a new puppy.

Seems like everything else was a question. Seriously, I don’t think I actually SAID anything. It was all questions. For instance, the second most common thing I said? “Hey, did you hear my new book is out?”

From there it drifts into a blur of what was asked most. That’s not to say it was boring. Just the opposite actually. But I had so many questions in 2019 it’s all just a blur. Here’s a partial …

Family, Random Thoughts,

A Prayer for Your Thanksgiving Dinner

A prayer you might use for your Thanksgiving Day ….

Bless, O Lord,
this food we are about to eat;
and we pray you, O God,
that it may be good
for our body and soul;
and, if there is any poor creature
hungry or thirsty walking the road,
may God send them in to us
so that we can share the food with them,
just as Christ shares His gifts
with all of us.
Amen.

Graces, from Celtic Daily Prayer…

Junkyard Management, Random Thoughts, So you think you're a writer?,

Want to be a Guest Blogger?

Junkyard wisdom comes from a lot of places besides junkyards. You don’t have to go home with grease under your fingernails to attain wisdom (though it helps). Anyone from anywhere can have great insight.

Since my friends are amongst the wisest people in the world (I almost said the wisest people I know, but that’s obvious) then it’s time to share their wisdom.

Are you up for it? If you have an idea, opinion, insight, or fun story, let’s talk about you being a guest blogger. Maybe you have a rant you want to get off your chest. Or an …

D'Oliva Olive Oil, Random Thoughts,

Roots or Fruit?

When D’Aun planted her olive grove I learned about the alternate bearing nature of the olive tree. One year it produces more than the average amount of fruit, and another year it produces less but invests into deeper roots. Well, it’s not quite that simple, but you get the idea.

My takeaway from this? Our spiritual lives are much the same. Sometimes we bear a lot of fruit (and you are welcome to leave this blog and go read Galatians 5). Other times we do not outwardly look like we’re doing much, but our energies are poured into strengthening our …

Leadership, Random Thoughts,

Declaration of Independence

Since we are celebrating Independence Day this week, it seemed appropriate to post the Declaration of Independence here. Have you ever read it from start to finish? Perhaps you did as a student once, but have you since? Since it is easy to forget the principles this nation was built upon, I encourage you to read it once a year. And so here it is….

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That …

Random Thoughts,

Ten Things Every Traveler Should Pack

A couple years ago I posted this and it was one of the most popular posts ever. So figure it was worth reposting as Summer gets into full swing! Here’s my list of ten things every traveler should pack.

Duct tape. Not the whole roll, but just a yard or two. Duct tape fixes everything: broken suitcases, cracked smartphones, even reading glasses (though you look a bit dorky, but hey, it’s better than being blind).
Lots of ziplock plastic bags. Not just for TSA security reasons, but for wet clothes, dirty clothes, and that last minute impulse purchase

…