Monthly Archives: January 2010

January 21st: Oooooh

January 22, 2010 in Missions by michael
In chapter five of the Mission To Be Happy (aka M2B:)) I share some thoughts about “unexpected joys” that come out of nowhere, catch us quite by surprise and can brighten up an otherwise gloomy day.  The song that accompanies that chapter is called “With Paul and John” and it’s about the Beatles and the [...]

January 20th: The re-write

January 21, 2010 in Missions by michael
The adage goes something like this: Great songs aren’t written, they’re re-written. This adage was probably created by a very clever marketing director for a course on songwriting. But it’s held up because it’s true.  The first creative impulse, inspired as it may be, rarely fleshes out an entire song on the spot.  I say [...]

January 19th: Live to serve

January 19, 2010 in Missions by michael
So Lynne and I are having dinner with our  friends Jerry  and Ella Simons of HOPE PROJECTS  (www.hopeprojects.com) and we’re talking about the progress of his foundation and he asked me for some help.  He recently received an award for his service to the people of Peru, specifically the Incas in the villages of the [...]

January 18th: Puttering

January 19, 2010 in Missions by michael
Certain holidays that are always on Mondays offer two great happinesses.  Sleeping in and puttering around the house.  Never had a problem sleeping in.  Comes naturally to me. It’s a gift.  Give me a Holiday-Monday when I don’t have to be at work (and the banks and post offices are taking the day off) and [...]

January 17th: Comfort food

January 17, 2010 in Missions by michael
There aren’t many days, no matter how perplexing, disconcerting or downright depressing that can’t be altered by the perfect food.  For that matter there aren’t many joyous, wonderful, exquisite occasions that can’t be enhanced by the perfect food. And while I’m on the subject I know from personal experience that  few, if any, ordinary, average [...]

January 16th: An 82nd Birthday

January 17, 2010 in Missions by michael
My mother turned 82 today. It was a happy day. She’s with us, she’s with “it”, she’s able to get around the house, she’s able to hold her great granddaughter, she’s able to treat the family to McLean Night at the Movies. Tonight my mom brought her DVD collection and offered her [...]

January 15th: Does a M2B:) go through Haiti?

January 16, 2010 in Missions by michael
I’ve wrestling with this all day long: Does my M2B:) go through Haiti.   Thinking about the images and news coming from Port-au-Prince and wondering how I can write about how I found happiness, authentic, real, meaningful happiness when there is this extraordinary suffering going on and it can’t (nor should it be ignored). I saw [...]

January 14th: Rookie hits the 3

January 15, 2010 in Missions by michael
I can’t wipe the smile off my face.  I’m STILL laughing and it was 20 minutes ago.  Sundiata Gaines in his 5th (yeah, that’s right, his FIFTH) game in the NBA hits his 1st (yeah, you read that right, his FIRST) three point shot AT THE BUZZER to win the game for the UTAH JAZZ [...]

January 13th: School

January 14, 2010 in Missions by michael
Since second or third grade the first day of school was always a combination of nervous excitement and a deep fear that the fashion police would arrest me for not getting the back to school wardrobe thing right.   One year, I think it was 8th grade, I tried on five different combinations of shirts, [...]

January 12th: Stuff that works

January 12, 2010 in Missions by michael
I hate admitting this, but I can’t fix anything.  I have no handyman skills.  And what makes it worse is I grew up in a house where my Dad was able to repair everything that ever broke.  I, on the other hand, will probably go broke hiring people to come and fix the stuff that [...]