Hopeful

An Impossible Dream?

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor April 16, 2013

Is that what we dream? An impossible dream? Is there such a thing?

Don Quixote, the brilliantly written fictional character, has a thing or two to teach. He’s a loveable, eccentric, faith – filled fellow who lives in his own mind space and sees the world with different eyes. He is set on lifting the world beyond a more sorry state so that others may reside in a more chivalrous state, filled with morals and values that he believes count. Is he brilliant or …

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Courage

When Things Don’t Work Right

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor January 9, 2013

Sometimes things just don’t work right. Big or small, we can roll with it or let it turn us on our heads.

Technology, for instance. I know almost nothing about it. When technical things don’t work right, I have no idea what to do in order to fix it. I rely on the charitable goodness of my friend Misty to fix most things that go wrong with the website. When she can’t [and I don’t know she ever finds time with her large family …

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Hope

A Christmas Gift – Good Cheer

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor December 13, 2012

Christmas is synonymous with gifts. Giving and receiving good gifts is a beautiful thing, full of symbolism. The gift I want to touch on today is Good Cheer.

I love old fashioned traditions, happy endings, kind people, and lessons learned. So I’m kind of a Hallmark Channel groupie. I’ll take the cheer – the smiles- the Hallmark Channel brings just about any day.

Why do these things have to out of fashion? Ever? Why should we settle for less than brightness, joy, peace, and …

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Cheer

Dig Out. Climb Up. Pry Open. Be Happy

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor November 6, 2012

Digging out of the dirt. Climbing up from the hole. Prying open a window [to let in sunlight] during a moment when everything seems [or is, for real] dark and contrary. My Happy has been temporarily displaced.

Most days I’m in a pretty good mood. If I don’t start out that way, I’ve learned a few tricks to flip it around. But sometimes… sometimes, the gray cloud seems to seep into the pores of my body and invade the warmth and sunshine of my …

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Happy

Supercalifrag…. Never Mind

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor October 30, 2012

Supercalifrag…never mind. Trying to be Super All That is such a myth. Whoever started the whole “I can do everything!” needs to stand in the corner with their nose touching the crevice. Don’t be crowning me Queen of Goodness – or anyone else. We’re all working stiffs here, shoring up as best we can, and dealing with Stuff. Trusting, hoping, praying, working so that the Stuff doesn’t do us in.

Does this sound negative? Sorry – I don’t mean it to. Just the opposite.…

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Goodness

You’re Upside Down

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor October 16, 2012

You’re Upside Down . . .

This is from one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite old movies, What’s Up Doc. Ryan O’Neal entered a party where craziness and hilarity ensued with Barbara Streisand. A waiter stared at him and said, You’re upside down.

The waiter was referring to his name tag. I’ve felt like more than my name tag was upended.

Among the many things to flip us on our heads, how do we stay right-side up?

I think of a …

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Inspiration

Choice- What Comes With It

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor September 15, 2012

Choice is a great gift. What comes with it?

I have a couple of thoughts that have been ruminating inside myself. Maybe they won’t be at all relevant to you, as they are to me. But just in case – here we go:

1. Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don’t count on harvesting Golden Delicious.

Bill Meyer created this awesome sentence. Faith is a seed. Thoughts are seeds. Choices seem, actually, to be seeds. We’re gonna grow what we plant. …

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Choice

A Reminder of Hope – Goin’ Gold

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor August 31, 2012

I recently saw, on Facebook, a Goin’ Gold campaign. For me, it was a reminder of HOPE. Because Goin’ Gold is a campaign to help a little one who is dealing with cancer. When a child goes through tough medical challenges, most often we see goodness and graciousness, faith and hope in that little boy or girl. There is a lot of sorrow and faith through the ups and downs of the journey. And we sometimes don’t know how we’ll get through it.

September is …

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Goodness

Just One Breathtaking Sunset for Hope to Rise In My Heart

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor August 27, 2012

Just one breathtaking sunset can cause a bit of hope to rise in my heart. I don’t know why. Or, at least, I don’t know how to explain it in words.

It’s the majesty I feel, and the gratitude for this beautiful world. For the perfect colors and the perfect peace that it brings. Just for a moment, everything else falls away. The nerves, the sadness, the hurt, the overwhelming Life Stuff that sometimes seems to take a big bite out of my heart.

The …

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Goodness

God is Good. Sometimes Humans Are Not

by Vickey Pahnke Taylor July 23, 2012

God is good. Sometimes humans are not. In my stepping back into the online world, having had a long sabbatical during surgery and healing, I can only use these eyes for short periods of time. Patience is the key as I continue healing… and ya know, patience has never been my strong suit. I guess that’s why I ‘get’ so many situations given to me in which I can learn the principle a little better.

So I have to choose the things I read with …

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Goodness

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