I published “Lent for non-Lent people” two years ago. It’s a collection of short reflections to be read, one per day, during the seven weeks before Easter, starting on “Ash Wednesday” (February 10). I asked a friend to help me sell the book this year. She said, “Can you describe the feeling that people are […]

First published January 7, 2013. Updated for 2016. You can plan now to make something happen every Monday in 2016. All you have to do is one of these: Tell your child/children you are grateful they are alive. Ask God for wisdom for the decisions you have to make this week. Drink a large glass […]

It’s a stretch to say that I gave up my half-marathon for Lent. That would be no sacrifice at all, since I haven’t ever run 13.1 miles. Giving up something we’ve never done isn’t exactly fasting.  It’s like saying, “For Lent, I will give up caviar and sushi and arsenic” knowing that I have never […]

January starts with such hope. For many people, that hope of renewal turns into action. Others of us get to the end of the month and feel sad. But cheer up. February is a great month for starting lasting change in our lives. Here are five reasons. February includes Groundhog Day, a comparatively meaningless event. […]