Category: Miscellaneous

Brené Brown, the author of Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection, knows all about vulnerability. Today, in a TV interview on the Oprah Winfrey Network, she said something that resonated so powerfully I rushed to incorporate it into a graphic image. I then posted it on Google Plus, my favorite social network. “When failure… Continue reading Brené Brown on Failure and Innovation

Missing in action from Google+ and other social networking sites for most of the previous week. The reason: Cheri and I went camping, with our faithful mountain cur, Cheyenne. Below is a panoramic photo of the spot where we parked our camper beside Cherokee Lake: While we were gone, Google+ introduced the ability to embed… Continue reading Lakeside Camping, Anyone?

Cheri and I are celebrating our 27th anniversary this weekend. It’s an extended celebration: The official date is 12 July. This year (2013) that falls on a Friday, and in any case we’re counting the entire weekend — and beyond — as our celebration. The festivities end when we say they end, not before. This… Continue reading Our 27th Anniversary (& revisiting our Vows Renewal)

This weekend (29 June 2013) is the birthday of my wife, Cheri. Happy Birthday, sweetheart! The letters in her full name — Cheri Victoria Wallace Matthews — reveal a lot about her. They rearrange to spell: “Worthwhile acclaim reactivates” and “Well! Charisma to a creative witch”. (Since Cheri thinks of witchery as symbolic of feminine… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Dear Cheri!

As Baha’is, my wife, Cheri, and I feel devastated by the news that the House of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad, Iraq, has been destroyed. The Baha’i supreme governing body, the Universal House of Justice, announced this news earlier today. The circumstances, they say, are unclear. The House does say, however, that “The peoples of the world… Continue reading Heartbreaking Destruction of the House of Baha’u’llah

A sad, sad celebration. That’s the only way I know to describe a festive cookout 19 May 2013 at the Knoxville Baha’i Center. It was held in honor of stalwart friends who will be greatly missed, as they’re moving in the near future. Tim and Julie Loudin-Rich and their children — Ethan, Hannah, and Sophie… Continue reading Saying Goodbye to Old Friends

Celebration of the Baha’i holy day, the First Day of Ridvan, at the Knoxville Baha’i Center. Ridvan is a 12-day festival celebrating the declaration, in 1863, by Baha’u’llah of the prophetic mission with which Baha’is believe God entrusted Him. This historic declaration took place in a garden in Baghdad, designated by Baha’u’llah “the Garden of… Continue reading First Day of Ridvan — 21 April 2013

One of the joys of our life together is when Cheri and I manage a getaway in our cozy little camper. We usually do this several times a year, at irregular intervals. The weekend of April 13-14 was our first for 2013. We certainly hope it won’t be the last. That — and the timing… Continue reading Our April Camping Trip

A bit more than a year ago, I created a website called Heart to Heart HD: http://hearttoheart.bahaiteaching.net/. During the ensuing year, I’ve paid no attention to hits, visits, or other web-traffic statistics. But shortly after the site’s first birthday, I peeked — and was stunned to learn that it has evolved into one of the… Continue reading Heart to Heart: Year in Review