CLIMBING MOUNTAINS

WHAT DRAWS US TO THE MOUNTAIN? What stirs in a person’s heart to draw us to the mountaintop?  The effort involved in preparing for and then getting to the trailhead, hiking up a trail with possibly 30% grades or more; dropping our heavy pack and stretching our ever-tightening hamstrings and lower back along the way, … Continue reading CLIMBING MOUNTAINS →

IS HE A SOLDIER, OR IS HE A DRUNK?

FEBRUARY 2023 As I make the transition from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, I’m going back and reviewing older posts.  This one was easy to pick because I recently heard from Jim again.  I’ve consolidated three posts into one here.  I hope you enjoy Jim’s story…it’s an amazing story of victory in the making.  JANUARY 2015 Earlier … Continue reading IS HE A SOLDIER, OR IS HE A DRUNK? →

ROCKSTAR…REVISITED

This story was first posted to my blog in December 2017.  I left Probation in February 2020 and didn’t cross paths with “Rockstar” again, until last week.  She’s back in the system.  Opiates again.  This time, due to a nasty injury over a year ago that led to multiple surgeries and a prescription…and back into … Continue reading ROCKSTAR…REVISITED →

DEATH LOST ITS LEAD

Sports imitates life… As I journaled early one morning this week, I thought of a gal on my caseload.  She has a name…but she will remain nameless here.  Our conversations the past two weeks have stirred me; inspired me.  Seriously… the transformation in the past two weeks has been nothing short of a miracle.  These … Continue reading DEATH LOST ITS LEAD →

DETAILS, DETAILS

CHANGE AGENTS ARE WIRED DIFFERENTLY Brokenness… I suspect most of us have those areas in our lives where things don’t quite work as efficiently as we’d like.  For many of us, we may do well on a day-to-day basis, perhaps even excelling in many areas of our lives…but like a vehicle that starts every time … Continue reading DETAILS, DETAILS →

VIEW FROM THE AIRPLANE WINDOW

Sittin’ on a plane that never takes off; thinkin’ of all my plans when I get to my dream destination I was stuck in a negative mindset on this particular morning as I got settled into my space where I connect with caffeine, journal, and find a measure of inspiration to take into the workday.  … Continue reading VIEW FROM THE AIRPLANE WINDOW →

HELLO? ANYONE OUT HERE?

(Photo: In the chute above Black Lake with 13,242ft McHenry's Peak in the background.) This post is about a 13-mile journey into the high country I took several years ago, but also, it’s about deeper takeaways I’ve applied to other areas of my life…namely, to how I see the change process.  The emotions up on … Continue reading HELLO? ANYONE OUT HERE? →

A TALE OF TWO WANTS

The chili-cheese fries had been on my mind since last night. My sister-in-law went out to dinner on the way to our house and brought leftovers home thinking I would eat them. I won’t get too far into the weeds on the recent battles I’ve had (that story is brewing in my mind as I … Continue reading A TALE OF TWO WANTS →

WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BE…(for the rest of your life)?

In recent weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about what James Clear calls Outcome-Based goals verses Identity-Based goals in his book, Atomic Habits.  The concept resonates with me because I have a personal experience from several years ago that went a long way in changing the trajectory of my own personal journey.  I’ll share more … Continue reading WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BE…(for the rest of your life)? →

IN THE TRENCHES

The trenches of warfare As I consider this blog, I have a nagging thought.  How do you reach a person that needs to hear a challenging message but also needs to hear a message of hope?  I wonder if some of you change agents out there have the same questions. That is where I’m going … Continue reading IN THE TRENCHES →