057: Who Is Driving Your Life? [Podcast] – Todd Stocker.com

Have you ever felt like your life was going in circles? Have you ever wanted to take control and make positive changes in your life?  Today, I’ll give you some advice that will help you take back your life. ON THIS EPISODE: Who is driving your life?  Is it you or someone else? Invictus Poem:

5 Ways To Choose Happy – Todd Stocker.com

(The inspiration for this post comes from a comment make by my free Facebook group.  You can request to be a part of it here). For me, spring changes everything.  The weather warms.  The birds rehearse their symphonies.  The ground reveals its growing hidden treasures.  The season lifts my spirits and makes me happy in

You Need A Challenge And Here’s Why – Todd Stocker.com

Raise your mental hand if you have ever said ‘yes’ to something that sounded fun, realized that you were in over your head but then completely enjoyed the experience? If you’re an ‘I’ on the DiSC personality assessment, most likely you’ll be the first to show your armpits.  We ‘i’s’ love anything that sounds fun,

What Decorates Your Life? – Todd Stocker.com

It’s early in the morning and my view is an elegant one.  Our simple Christmas tree, with small white lights and history-telling ornaments, stands in its ‘once-a-year’ place in front of our living room window.  Presents have begun to appear underneath its green branches and transparent red ribbons stream from Star to stump. Decorations are

015: You Don’t Have To Be Old To Retire Now – Todd Stocker.com

In a few short months, we turn the calendar and start again. Are you ready for the new year? Would you like to do something different? The issue we’re going to be talking about today deals with retirement and it ties in with the new year in a very significant way. PODCAST SHOW NOTES: “The

5 Feelings Your Pastor Feels Every Week – Todd Stocker.com

I’ve been a pastor for many years.  I’ve been able to serve wonderful congregations and ministries and have had the privilege of being part of a team to plant a fantastic church in a Phoenix suburb. Every year of my shepherding journey, this awkward month rolls around called ‘October’ which has been deemed “Pastor Appreciation

Pain In The Night; Joy In The Morning – Todd Stocker.com

You’ve had those nights.  The ones through which rest eludes you and worry torments you.  Your spouse — if married — sleeps soundly next to you but you listen to the nothingness that fills your dark room. You are in pain.  If it were only physical pain, you could take the pill, sip the nectar or

I Choose Joy

Up here, it’s cold, rainy and dark.  The yellowing tree leaves pretend to be the sun but it’s still rank with clouds.  Such it is transition for us Northerners from summer to winter through fall. I enjoy the change but I have to choose to do so.  I like when old and new collide into a

Makenzie: Five Times Now, Today.

I’m up earlier than normal again.  The last few weeks have stolen hours of sleep from me, most likely because of today. Five times now, I’ve endured the turning of this calendar page without my oldest daughter Makenzie.  Five times now, this day has kept me from work, from happiness and from others.  Five times

How to Find Happiness on $1.60

Coffee house gift cards tend to be my favorite.  I use them up to last drop. However, the other day, I didn’t.  The barista handed me my tall half-caf and slid my used gift card across the counter. “Can you check the balance?” “Sure,” She said.  “There’s a dollar sixty left on your card.” “Thanks,”

Pondering

A quick Christmas Day tour of Facebook reveals “pondering.” The student who is glad to be home for the holidays. The mom who watches her kids as they open gifts. The dad who reflects on his gratefulness for his family. The pondering heart is a thankful heart because to ponder means to throw ideas together

Ornaments

The Christmas tree. Tall and green and decorated as a fixture in our home during the Christmas season. Each year, I sit on our couch next to our tree and admire the decorations that are so carefully placed on its branches. I admire the creativity of the handmade ones.  You know the ones.  The ones

Evil In The Morning

I love and hate mornings.  The love comes from my experiencing the newness of the day, the time I spend in my prayerful SOAP devotions, and the creative Spirit that envelops my heart.  The hate comes from the barrage of negative thoughts that batter against the walls of my holy time. This morning, I let

Makenzie – 2.1 Miles Away

I don’t know how many of you have a physical location in which you can say your life changed forever.  As I write,  Google informs me I am 2.1 miles away from mine. Four years ago this evening, Makenzie finished her last pirouette, landed her last leap, and smiled one last time for the camera

Easter in Heaven for Makenzie

(Several years ago, my oldest daughter, Makenzie was killed in a traffic accident.  Below is a re-post from our first Easter without her): We have been comforted by many people over these last months after Makenzie’s death.  This week has provided countless opportunities for people to send their well wishes as we walked through Holy