Just Breathe…

“Before you act, listen. Before you react, think.  Before you spend, earn. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try.” Ernest Hemingway “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”    Thich Nhat Hanh  Last month I wrote about the difference of saying “I’ve got to do this” vs […]

Loving Ourselves Through the Messy

This is my annual Valentine’s Day newsletter where I normally write about how we all need to love ourselves more, be gentle with ourselves, don’t wait around for someone to buy you chocolate and flowers – do it for yourself etc.… etc.… I had to laugh today while I was reading what I had already […]

I have a little secret…

I have a little secret. I share this secret in some of my women’s retreats, but only after everyone else has opened their hearts and made themselves vulnerable. I love to vacuum. Yes, my name is Karen, and I am a vacuumaholic. There is nothing like seeing the transformation of a floor that had schmoots […]

Hold On To Love

“Hold On To Love” “Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between should, families, and nations.”                                      Paramahansa Yogananda I am working on my next women’s retreat, which is happening this month, with the title “Self-Care For Turbulent Times” – […]

Nourish Your Soul

“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” – Jean Shinoda Bolen Recently I attended a workshop given by my friend Rev. David Ault. In an exercise, David mentioned a concept he learned from Carolyn Myss, who said that […]

It’s The Little Things

“The older I get, the more I’m conscious of ways very small things can make a change in the world. Tiny little things, but the world is made up of tiny matters, isn’t it?”      Sandra Cisneros Every November I would get a call (not some generic email) from Virginia at Gordon’s Office Supply, (a small […]

Temporarily Closed

  “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection” Winston Churchill     This is my favorite month – it’s my birthday and the holiday season. It’s also the time I give myself to take a break, stop traveling, and allow myself to go deep inside of myself to reflect. In the […]

Thank You

This is the month of gratitude. The time of year where it is acceptable to tell people how grateful that you are for them being in your life. It seems that in this month everyone takes a little more time to acknowledge loved ones, friends, coworkers – that stigma of “Am I being to gushy?” […]

Every Thought You Think

“What you focus on grows, what you think about expands, and what you dwell upon determines your destiny.” Robin S. Sharma I bet you have heard the phrase in New Thought many times before: “What you focus on grows.” I am always amazed how my mind can fixate on the smallest thing and “chew” on it so […]

The Power of Ritual

“Rituals are the formulas by which harmony is restored.”  Terry Tempest Williams    I will never forget the feeling. It was my last day being music director of the beloved church where I had served for seven years, and now the time had come to move on. I had thought about leaving this job for […]