Stumbling Over the Truth

     It has been a long time since I last wrote.  I have often intended to, but never took the time to just write.  There have been many things on my mind that I have really wanted to write about, but maybe the most pressing is on the thought of value.      In an economically challenged world, value has become hugely important.  Our lives have become inundated with practicality and productivity.  No longer do we take the time to live, laugh, and love.  Value is given to everything, and unfortunately value drives our visions and goals.  Our time and more often our sanity is sacrificed doing things that we believe bring value to our lives in hope that we will achieve some level of worth that will make us satisfied with our lives.     One of the biggest questions of Jesus was, "What profit (value) does a man have if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?" [Paraphrase]  Something we all need to consider is the value we give to our lives.  As I work with teens

"The lure of the distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are." -John Borroughs My twelfth grade English teacher made a purpose of giving her classes a wise saying everyday for her students to write down and think about. One of my favorites that i still remember today is, "Often people fail to recognize opportunity because it comes to the in overalls and looks like work!" America was once dubbed the land of opportunities, but sadly, as a nation we have failed to seize those same opportunities. Many of the people that I talk with are seeking a different life. For some it is the lure of materialism brought to a heightened awareness by seductive marketing. Others are fooled into dreams of "perfect" relationships by a Hollywood image or movie. Most people are looking for simply a change in their reality. There are other things people do to change their reality. For instance, my daughter changed her hair color just bef