Stuff We Talk About

Although my mother went home to be with the Lord, she told me something years ago that I will never forget. I want to pass on the same...

By Vernalee What was the hit record on the date of your birth? Finding out is fun! I know that you are just as curious as I was! The website (www.Playback.fm) will provide the answer. My curiosity placed me in a discovery zone. So, I immediately checked out the site to see what the hits were on the dates that my children were born. On my son’s date of birth, the # one hit was Elton John’s and Kiki Dee’s, "Don’t go breaking my heart.” “Say, Say, Say” (Paul McCartney and Mic

By Vernalee It takes a real man or woman to apologize for a misstep. For some people, the word – apology – is not in their glossary of words. When that word is uttered, it is an admission to an error or mistake. Egotistical people have difficulties making such a statement because in their minds they are never wrong! The two words, “I’m sorry” is too big for some people to utter. So the question becomes: Would you rather apologize and show someone that you care or would yo

By Vernalee Do you believe in karma? Whether the answer is yes or no, remember this. What goes around comes around! This five word phrase (which uses one of the words twice) is so generically simple, but realistically true! Let me show you what I mean. Years ago, my Mother told me, “Escalators take you up and bring you down. Treat people right! The same people that you see going up, you may see coming down!” Keeping a dignified balance of fairness in life is critical to your

By Vernalee As we look at our environment today, the world needs love; lots of love! There has been more rioting, more shootings, more killings. The disharmony and hatred are not what God intended for mankind. God created a world intended for an overflowing of love. The Bible defines love in I Corinthians 13:4-7 as - 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily a

By Vernalee I share with you inspiring words that have lifted me up many, many times. I have found solace as I believe you will. Footprints in the Sand “One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was s

By Vernalee The admonition to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes means before judging someone, you must understand his/her experiences, challenges, thought processes, etc. The full idiom is: Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. In effect, it is a reminder to practice empathy. This plea for empathy is to put yourself in his or her shoes. Truly, it is only then that you will understand their situation. Stop judging. Start understanding. See life from their perspe

By Vernalee Did you hear the message? Admittedly, we really are selective listeners. Sometimes, we hear what we want to hear and block out what we don't. Do we hear the words, but miss the meaning? Do we become too anxious to reply whereby our concentration is dwarfed more toward our reply than toward our understanding of what was really said? So as not to have the message lost in translation and miss the true meaning, it is necessary that we be attentive and stay in tune.

By Vernalee When we travel, the flight attendants alert us to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first before attempting to help others. This is not a selfish command, but one of immense survival. How can you help others, if you are struggling; if you are not secure? In like manner, how can you guide others, if you are lost and don’t know what to do? It is imperative that we sufficiently get ourselves together before we extend help to others. There is a strong tendency to f