Presby-Musings

Sometimes when I am counseling someone who is having a hard time seeing beyond their struggle at the moment, I will ask them to describe what it would look like if they were able to get everything they wanted.   I'll say, "Tell me what it would look like if you got what you wanted out of your relationship."  Or I'll ask them, "Can you describe what your ideal future would look like?"   My only goal is to get them to focus--even for a moment--on a hope-filled tomorrow, and then to reframe where they are now with this new vision.   I want them to begin to see their current circumstances with fresh eyes and to realize that God will meet them right where they are in order to lead them where God wants them to go.   Nine times out of ten the person will get a faraway look in their eyes.  They will first ponder my suggestion and then relate to me what their future could  be if they were able to overcome their challenges...

I decided this morning to tune in to one of the cable news channels to get a bit caught up on the news of the day.  I almost immediately wished I hadn't.   I have been shying away from the 24 hour news channels for some time--mostly because they end up depressing me, and I don't need any more negativity in my life.   This morning, on the cable news channel I was watching, the news host was arguing with a United States Congressman, and the two men were essentially talking over one another, raising their voices and making their respective arguments unintelligible.   Both of these people claimed that all they wanted was the truth.  The thought occurred to me as I listened to them shouting at one another that getting at the "truth" was pretty far down on their to-do list.   What they really seemed to want to do was fire up the viewership and generate some outrage.  They were going for the lowest common denominator--playing on...

I can't even count how many times in my life I have had negative encounters with people, who unleashed upon me a diatribe, angry criticism, personal attacks and the like.     I also can't count how many times I have thought of something awesome to say to the person who is attacking me after  they've unleashed their venom and then walked away.  You know how that feels, right?  Whether it's moments or a day later, the thing you should  have said comes to you, and you find yourself saying, "Oh my gosh!  I wish I had said that!"   There was one time in my life were I said exactly what I wanted to say to someone who had attacked me publicly.  It was when I was an assistant manager at Best Buy and another manager in the store falsely accused me of something in a manager meeting.   Our argument continued out into the store, and I finally stood directly in front of him and inexplicably said the following--a thought turned to words tha...