"My dad's the best!" says my youngest son with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out making himself stand taller. There is so much certainty in this statement. This statement is a fact as far as my son is concerned. As he said these words it was as if he was challenging his older brother to retort it. 

Do you think your father is the best?

How do you determine value? What are some criteria you use to determine the value of something? 

Is it location like real estate? 

Is it popularity like the item is trending?

Is it the quality tied to brand? 

Is it familiarity because you grew up with it?

Is it price / the cost?

There are so many different perspectives and measurements we can use to determine the value something has in our opinion. It is this value we calculate whether consciously or unconsciously will drive how we associate and use the item.

Have you ever walked into the middle of two people's conversation? You catch bits and pieces of the conversation. I remember a time at my grandmother's house. I came from the back room into the kitchen to find my grandmother and mother sitting at the table deep in conversation. Their faces were serious and I could sense the emotion was tense. Based on the pieces of the conversation I could understand they were speaking of someone who had just passed away and the horrible betrayal they had endured. The more I listened the more concerned I became. So concerned I built up enough courage to interrupt them and ask "Who has died?" The question just laid there for what seemed like an eternity in the air. My mother and grandmother looked at each other and smiled. Leaving me more confused. Then they rattled off the character's name from the Spanish soap opera they both had been watching last evening! 

Do you ever just need something to look forward to? It may be a vacation, a date, a new experience, or a new beginning. They each represent a promise. A promise of relaxation, excitement, broader horizons, or a fresh start. Regardless of the promise it has the same effect on us emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. It is a positive effect of motivation, endurance, and perseverance. We know if we can just endure a little longer there will come the day we get to sign-off and leave for that vacation, purchase that new outfit for the date, exploration is on the horizon, or newness of life is in our grasp. 

Do you ever feel stuck? You feel as if you cannot move. This feeling could be literal as in you are physically paralyzed or  could be metaphorical as in your thoughts are clouded or blocked. The feeling of stuck either way is very real and can be discouraging. Often when battling this situation depression sets in and begins to cause us to spiral into hopelessness. This is why the summer I spent as an intern at a rehabilitation center were all patients were receiving physical therapy for their physical disability spoke so profoundly to me spiritually.