When I started college, my sister shared a poem with me. Just as life was getting busy with classes, grades, projects, labs, clubs, and making ends meet, that poem anchored me. And as life progressed - work, marriage, kids - the poem anchored me.The Difference I got...
By Michael Yakawich As we journey through life, our paths are crossed, created, and joined with that of others—people who raise us, inspire us, and help us discover who we are along the way. It is also natural that we experience the loss of these treasured people in...
By Nathan Breland Our son stepped out of the car to the sound of chickens clucking and goats bleating. From that moment to the end of our trip, he ran – exhilarated and non-stop - through White Lotus Farms of Port Ludlow, WA. It was a quaint little destination that...
My son is in the middle of potty training. He is getting pretty close to achieving “fully trained” status, but not quite at 100%. We started with the discussion about becoming a “big boy,” put away the diapers, replaced them with cool superhero and dinosaur underwear,...
By Nathan Breland Who knew how this little curly-haired bundle of joy could have had such an impact on me and my wife? He surely has. And it was even more fitting that he made his appearance on Thanksgiving Eve, right in time for Thanksgiving, because he has truly...
By Maruko Breland My dearest son, You came into our lives the morning of the day before Thanksgiving. You decided to come a week early, and I said to your father, “Well, we’ll have a lot to be grateful for this Thanksgiving!” Every Thanksgiving is a reminder of that...
By K.T. A lot of people muse about what “true love” is. I’ve recently been witness to it, in a very personal way. My mom, who just turned 90 in August, broke her femur last week. This required surgery and being put into a convalescent facility (thankfully just minutes...
By Takae Goto It is a tradition in our family to observe birthdays with a short morning prayer before celebrating with food and friends. It’s an opportunity to thank God for my life, parents, and family who supported me through another year. As each year passes by, I...
Sometimes all it takes to resolve a small situation is taking a larger perspective. Some call it the “birds eye view” or the “God’s eye view” but pulling ourselves out of our own feelings and perspective can have a transformative effect on disagreements. What follows...