Each day is new gift from God and an opportunity to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, it is easy for the best of us to get side-tracked. A difficult situation, an unkind word, or an unfair ruling can trigger a negative reaction. This can be aggravated by divisive news, caustic social media posts, and a combative culture. Before you know it, good

Life for humankind can be brutal. At times life’s challenges seem impossible to survive –  let alone enjoy. There are few people who live their life without at least a patch or two where they are not sure if they will make it. But then there are those who seem to have discovered a secret to thriving in any situation. How do they do that?

Most funerals are marked by at least a modicum of grief and sorrow. Most of us hope that when we pass someone will miss us. One misconception is that, if we can get rich and famous, we will certainly be missed, and others will grieve when we pass. It turns out that popularity and money have little to do with being loved or missed.

It seemed like a great idea. Major retail giants were needing to do something with all the returned merchandise. Many of the products were in good shape, but not resalable. I was working for a non-profit that was trying to help needy families. Some innovative people had successfully formulated a plan to salvage the retail returns and distribute them – Free – to families