jeff's blog
jeff's blog
Jeff Delp
My blog is a little bit of everything -- random thoughts, adventures, and encouragement ;)
Latest Posts
Life can be challenging. Stressful. Hectic. Busy. Overwhelming. Our capacity to deal with the world around us varies and is finite. When we reach our limit, we have to accept it. Don't give up. Reduce the load, or do something...
Last week I was doing some work in a field of our family’s Christmas tree farm that borders a neighbor. They have quite a menagerie of animals — chickens, goats, sheep, a horse, rabbits, goats, pigeons and greyhounds. In addition, they...
I'm reading a good fiction book right now (This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger). Inexplicably, I feel a bit guilty because it is my third fiction book in a row. I like to mix in nonfiction to feel like I'm "learning" something. I...
I'm spending a few days in Kansas, helping my brother on our family Christmas tree farm. The work is physically challenging (dragging, lifting, netting, stacking, and loading Christmas trees), but I finish the day "good tired." Not the...
I will not allow anyone to walk in my mind with dirty feet. — Mahatma Gandhi Many of us spend a lot of time worrying about what other people think. I don't have immunity, or a remedy. I am, by nature, a people-pleaser. While this isn't...
When I am in Kansas (my home state) I enjoy going for a drive in the country. I typically depart with a general direction in mind (say Quivera National Wildlife Refuge) but without a specific route for getting there. I'll choose any of a...
I'm not one to rush time, or wish away the days. They pass with sufficient speed on their own. I get frustrated when I see Halloween decorations in August, or pumpkin spice anything before we are solidly into sweater weather. It seems...
I'm writing this from the airport in Phoenix. Waiting for a flight to Kansas. Something I've had planned for several months. I'm headed back to my hometown to help for a few days on my family's Christmas tree farm. Yesterday, my original...
Today I was thinking about things, or experiences, I believe are under appreciated. Here are just a few on my list: fresh popcorn a book you can't put down the bubbling sound of a stream "sweatshirt" weather the smell of the forest after...
Today I tried to complete a "simple" lawn irrigation repair for my brother. I'm not a very "handy" person, but I was confident this was within the scope of my abilities. I was wrong. After three trips to the hardware store, and several...
When my nephew was three years old, he went to a local park with his dad. They returned sooner than expected. Ezra was asked how the trip to the park went, and he provided a one word response -- with some exasperation. "People!?" Indeed....
I was too ambitious with my initial weekly sharing (weekly 15). I’ve decided to make it a bit more achievable — without a specific number. The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world. - Dr. Paul...
I've done a lot of quitting in my lifetime. Most incidents of throwing in the towel were rather insignificant. A fishing trip that wasn't going well. A round of golf (I'm a terrible golfer). A new year's resolution. A book that didn't...
Sometimes I feel a little off. Discombobulated. Struggling to find my rhythm. There is no shortage of advice on what to do in these situations, but here is a simple plan that has consistently worked for me. Take out a pen and paper (I...
This morning I was texting with my uncle. In response to a query about how he was doing, he responded, “Hanging in there. Trying to obey the yellow light” Obey the yellow light. Indeed! Slow. Down. In a world that is addicted to worry...