It is the ability to choose which makes us human.” — Madeleine L'Engle The other night at my Sunday dinner, my friend Chelsea asked me if I had read the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. When I told her no, she said: If anyone needs to read that...
Chargrilled eggplant works beautifully in this classic dish. It’s actually the only way I make it in L.A. I have a weakness for the chargrilled flavor that you won’t get with frying. The joy of this dish is in the layering. Two layers of eggplant will do, but three or four are divine. ...
The feminine mystic is a different creature than the manly prophet. She is not a lone wolf, raising her voice in the wilderness. She is not a strident preacher, warning of doom. She is only as powerful as her community. Alone she is nothing, and she knows it. The very concept of an individua...
Philanthropist Melinda Gates is on a mission to lift up women in society. Author of the new book The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, Melinda says women’s rights and society’s health and wealth rise together, which is why empowering women is one of the highest-lev...
Salvation is the root. The resurrection is the fruit.” — Bishop T.D. Jakes Happy Easter! Happy Easter! Happy Easter! Just writing those words makes me smile. Easter is all about rising and resurrection, as I mentioned last week. That makes me smile this morning as well. Risin...
Yields 3 loaves This Armenian Easter Bread, called choereg or sometimes choreg is a buttery sweet bread, fragrant with spices called mahleb or sometimes mahlab along with nigella seeds. I have also seen recipes with just the ground mahleb seeds added. It is a delicious bread that will b...
At a conference not long ago, someone asked me about the book I was working on, and I told him it was about the lessons we learn from pain. He asked me what the result of my own pain was, and without hesitation I said: “I am a nicer person.” Not that I was a mean or evil person before, b...
We all love the rise. Nothing compares to that beautiful climb back up into the light after experiencing feelings of hopelessness, pain, worry, or despair. I could write about the elation of the rise, of feeling back on top, however, there is a secret to peace and freedom hiding in the mis...
There are simple statements we sometimes hear that may echo in our minds for a long time. One of those for me is the basic question, “Who are you?” It sounds simple to answer: “I am me.” Yet underneath the simplicity of these words is a profound complexity inviting us to understan...
We may stumble and fall, but shall rise again; it should be enough if we did not run away from the battle.” — Mahatma Gandhi Today marks the beginning of Holy Week. As a child, I used to love going to church on Palm Sunday and trying to turn my palm into a crucifix or some type ...
