jeff's blog
Jeff Delp
My blog is a little bit of everything -- random thoughts, adventures, and encouragement ;)
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All posts (98)
The real enemies of our lives are the "oughts" and the "ifs." They pull us backward into the unalterable past, or forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and now. - Henri Nouwen I sometimes wonder how much time I've wasted in worry. Lingering on regrets about past decisions or...
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 rejuvenating to increase our capacity. No one can do everything, all the time. Life can be...
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 have a couple Great Pyrenees dogs that keep an eye on the “zoo.” The Pyrenees are...
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 suspect my compunction about reading for enjoyment is due to years of feeling an...
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 same tiredness that comes from stress, busyness, and anxiety. Here are a few...
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 inherently bad, it has been the cause of a great deal of stress over the years,...
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 plethora of nearly deserted back roads that will guide me toward my...
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 like the marketing of Christmas continues a steady creep toward mid-year. However,...
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 flight (scheduled for Monday) was cancelled. Based on the news coming out of...
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 a rain shower a good playlist on a long road trip local bookstores campfires...
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