Author Archives: watchwordsblog

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. e. e. cummings Meditation: Being a teenager is a very challenging time in life. A lot of courage is needed to not give in to peer pressure or just “do what everybody does”. I see my girls experiment with clothing and hair stylesContinue reading “Becoming Who You Really Are…”

Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. Jalaluddin Rumi Meditation: Yoga has always been a way of relating to one’s body, emotions and spirit that has fascinated me. Today’s quote is by J. Rumi, a world wide known Yoga teacher. If there isContinue reading “Yoga and Prayer…”

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change. Carl Rogers Meditation: When we realize that we relate to others and ourselves in ways that are destructive instead of life-giving, we discover what sin is about. “Sin” based on the Jewish and Christian traditions means “missing theContinue reading ““Sin” – How Can We Change?…”

We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us. Joseph Campbell Meditation: I remember in my twenties, I was worried that my life would end up in one certain way. I started obsessing about this, as if life would only offer me oneContinue reading “The Life that is awaiting us…”

Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you. Roger Ebert Meditation: I am part of a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program that trains seminary students to become emotional and spiritual care providers. While these students attend seminary, they engage daily in the academic rigor of writing theoretical papers by using first of all their intellect. Therefore,Continue reading “Soulful Spiritual Leaders…”

The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable. Paul Tillich Meditation: Sometimes Christianity is being misunderstood or misrepresented as a moral system of expectations for us to strive for “holiness” or “perfection”. The notion of “sinfulness” is being used to make people work hard as if they wereContinue reading “The Courage to Be…”

Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. Anais Nin Meditation: Last week when I visited Germany, I met my Kindergarten friend who I have known for 47 years. We spent two days together. It feltContinue reading “Friendship…”

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Maya Angelou Meditation: When my children were young, they thought their parents could change everything and make everything better. It is human to wish this. Often we project the same “almighty” capability onto God. We wish God would just comeContinue reading “God as Change Agent…”

The intention and outcome of vulnerability is trust, intimacy and connection. The outcome of oversharing is distrust, disconnection – and usually a little judgment. Brene Brown Meditation: Our Western culture is going through a phase of oversharing personal information. In the past, personal things were often not shared at all based on the motto: “What happensContinue reading “Vulnerability – the Space between Hiding and Oversharing…”

To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly. Brené Brown Meditation: Two relationship values that I am trying to model and teach my daughters are first “being honest” and secondly “being authentic”. This is sometimes not easy as we are livingContinue reading “Becoming Real…”