Last spring, something happened to me that propelled me to a higher way of living. The incident created a highway to a higher way. Interested?

There is an occurrence in the Ancient Scriptures that has a life lesson for all of us if we are open. Let me introduce this life coach and her claim to fame story. Warning: This life coach is not pretty, is silent most of the time, and comes across as stubborn and dumb, but when she speaks, angels listen.

President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt owned a little dog that was always getting into fights and consistently getting the worst of them. On one occasion, his dog tackled a mangy cur and took a beating. Someone said to President Roosevelt, “Your dog isn’t much of a fighter.” “Oh, yes, he’s a good fighter,” replied the President, “He’s just a poor judge of dogs.”

This coming May will be my wife Becky and my 40th Anniversary. That’s right. We established the Becky Bridges/Ed Delph corporation, collaboration, and combination, in 1983. There were still dinosaurs alive when we got married. Where did the time go?

For some time now, I have been thinking about the attribute of willpower. Other words for willpower might be determination, consistency, or perseverance. I admire folks with willpower. When the times get tough, the determined are not deterred or detoured. Instead, they have what I call ‘beginergy.’ They have spirit, grit, and mental toughness. They may not reach their ultimate dream or goal, but it will not be because of a lack of effort.

Where do you want to go today? Microsoft uses that slogan to convince you that you can head in any direction you please with their software. But Earl Nightingale, one of the great motivational speakers, said it better. “Imagine that you are the captain of a great ocean-going vessel,” he suggests. “Before even leaving the harbor, you lay out plans for your voyage. Using maps, choose a destination, then employ your navigational skills to arrive safely”.

Here’s a mind-popping story I found on the internet with two perspectives – one coming from Venus (the feminine perspective) and the other from Mars (the masculine perspective). The story is called The Wife’s Diary and The Husband’s Diary.

The phone rang, and the lady of the house answered. It was a salesman from a mortgage refinance company. “Do you have a second mortgage on your home?” “No,” she replied. “Would you like to consolidate all of your debts?” “I don’t have any,” she replied. “How about freeing up some cash for home improvements?” “I don’t need any. I just recently had some done and paid cash,” she parried. There was a brief silence, and he asked, “Are you looking for a husband?”

As we enter 2023, let’s look at what made the news in 2022. Perhaps the most memorable news people heard about was ‘Fake News.’ To understand fake news, let’s explore the concept of white lies.

I hope you are feeling well and not exhausted or frustrated from the past year or current events. However, if you are tired or frustrated, this short article may bring a little crispness and happy new cheer this holiday season. Let me give a few examples of people looking at real-life situations who may be worn down and need to refocus.

Let’s start this week’s article with a story from Peanuts’ comic strip.

Lucy decides that Linus (her little brother) must grow up and learn to live without his security blanket. So, when Linus falls asleep, she slips the blanket out of his hands, takes it outside, and buries it. Linus wakes up and discovers his missing blanket; he panics and falls to the floor. Linus can’t catch his breath. He gasps and screams, “I’ve got to have that blanket. I can’t live without my blanket.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reported a story about a humpback whale on December 14, 2005. On December 11, 2005, a female humpback whale entangled herself in a spider web of crab traps and lines. She had hundreds of pounds of crab traps and yards of lines wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and even a line tugging in her mouth.

Well, the Holiday Season is in full swing, and now comes the capstone of the holidays, Christmas. Soon, Christmas lights, songs, and great expectations will be the norm. After a tumultuous mid-term election, I’m sure most of us “need a little Christmas now.”