Live. Love. Lead.

     We have ALL been part of relationships that did not work out the way we planned. We've experienced the hope of possibility, the brokenness of unmet expectations, and struggled with the realness of unforgiveness it leaves.       Why does unforgiveness hit us so hard in relationships?       I believe part of it is because the person did not become what we wanted and the relationship did not materialize the way we believed it should. And simply put...it hurts...and somebody was on the other end of that hurt. Intentionally or unintentionally the person hit us with the dizzying blow of disappointment.       As I work through my own wilderness journey of faith that includes such a tough part of unforgiveness, I was reminded of a few thoughts. First, "forgiveness is between you and God" (T.Hegg). I don't typically feel like forgiving. I have to work at it and...work some more. Struggle. Fall. Succeed. And when ...

     This past week, we completed the celebration of the Hannukah holidays! This Hannukah season was and continues to be so pivotal for me in this particular season of my life.      One Rabbi said this regarding the Hannukah season, "At the time of the Maccabees somebody could have said 'That is only one jar of oil! Look at our situation! What can one jar of oil do? But, it was that first person who chose to ignore despair and choose hope that re-kindled hope for generations to come."  It only took one jar of oil that kindled the light of the menorah that HaShem miraculously allowed to last 8 days!      When considering this, I thought about the current circumstances that many people I know are engaged in right now. Too often, it is expedient to say or think, "That's just one little good thing. Look at all the other bad things around us. What can one little act, word, thought, or gesture do?"  I believe this is one of the biggest ...