December 2023, and the first year of The Heart of the Matter blog is almost wrapped up. My first post here on the blog went live on January 21st. As they say, time flies…I was curious to see what I had written for that first post because honestly I’d totally forgotten. WOW! That was my … More Reflections
One year in elementary school, my class visited a local nursing home and sang Christmas carols for the residents. I wasn’t much of a singer — okay, let me be honest, I’m still not much of a singer — but I loved everything about the season and had a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I wasn’t … More Ten lords a-leaping
The other day I was idling at a stop light when I young woman crossed the street in front of me carrying a snow board. She had it so perfectly balanced that it looked effortless. In fact, she had a backpack on and a coffee in her other hand so she was encumbered in other … More It’s All About Balance
Hello, friends. It’s December 17. How is that possible!? What a year! Partnering with the lovely and talented Wynne Leon and our HoTM team was joyous – prompting gratitude and wistfulness at year’s end. Taking stock and feeling humbled, especially when Mother Nature sets the stage. I restrained myself and demonstrated patience this week. There’s an … More Morning Sky
It seems like these days pass so quickly that we often finding ourselves reading, appreciating the gift of a post, and then moving on too quickly. To extend some of the great notes of the week, we have Well Said Saturdays – bringing a few quotes from recent posts forward. From Light, Love & Gifting … More Well Said Saturdays – December 16
In this episode, I’m with my co-host, Dr. Vicki Atkinson, and we are back with the amazing blogger and author, Stuart Perkins. We revisit a couple of Stuart’s recent pieces that highlight the kind of people who help us and inspire us to stay steady. Stuart writes so beautifully. Period. He hooks us and we … More Episode 48: Staying Steady with Stuart Perkins
Where do we find the light? The inspiration? That spark of genius, even if only for a fraction of a moment? In In Praise of Disorganization, Wynne and I discussed a brilliant (pun intended 🙃) source of such wonder: the collision of different worlds! Think about it, fire materializes when 3 very different components come … More Where Do We Find It?
My wife and I rolled over at the same time. Our baby daughter was crying from her room. We were both tired, but I offered to go get her. You would have thought I told my wife that she had just won the PowerBall Lottery. In her exhaustion, she let out a huge smile, told … More Rock-a-bye baby
As a pastor’s kid, I’ve seen my share of Candlelight Services. Perhaps you’ve been to one too – they usually start at 11pm on Christmas Eve. At the very end, as it closes in on midnight, everyone gets a candle. The flame from the candle on the altar is passed around until the candles are … More Candlelight Aglow
Here at Heart of the Matter we writers are dabbling with the concept of “light” this month. As you may have read, our talented team has done a terrific job of bringing heartfelt stories forward, literally reflecting their creative insight about the word LIGHT and all the various manifestations of its meaning. LIGHT. LIGHT. LIGHT. In … More Light, Love & Gifting
The Heart of the Matter 