Life After a Major Amputation

 Life After a Major Amputation 

On Sept. 15, 2025 I had to have a below-the-knee amputation resulting from a surgical site that got infected and quickly moved to the bone of my right leg. What a wakeup call that was for Carolyn and me. 

And how am I doing? 

All things considered, very well thank you. I’ve had to reconcile several factors that are now a part of my life and must be dealt with on an on-going basis now. For instance: 

~I've lost somewhere between 30-40 lbs. 

~I no longer have a right foot and lower 12 inches of my leg. Sometimes I forget and want to lead with my right foot. Thankfully I’ve caught myself every time. 

~I will have a wheelchair and a walker in my life for the rest of my life. 

~I start the process of being fitted for a prosthetic in ten days. And that will indeed be a process, or so I am told. 

~I haven’t learned to drive with my left foot yet, so driving is out of the question. 

Let me be quick to say our Edmonds family has surrounded us with love and great care.  They visited me in the hospital and rehibilitation center and the men in our family have jumped in to do the repair and remodel work we've needed.

This I do know. God has gone before me even before the diagnosis of this amputation. And he continues to be with me and Carolyn through every day we face. 

My surgeon’s nurse took out 50 staples from my incision site on Oct. 7. That was a bit painful, and I survived it. Dr. Wingert said my leg looked better than any other patients he had seen. He was really pleased with me and my leg. You have no idea how that Carolyn and me and encouraged us.

And now you know. I haven’t posted anything on social media about this experience in my life. We’ve been busy adjusting to this new reality and learning new living skills from a wheelchair. 

We’ve had to make a few adjustments here in our living space. 

~Widened our bedroom and bathroom doors to accommodate my wheelchair. 

 ~We’re getting more handicap handrails installed in our bathroom soon. 

Other changes will come, and we will meet them head on with God’s grace and strength. 

What do I need? Your continued love, friendship and kind thoughts and prayers. I’d love it if you wanted to respond through email or Facebook with a personal message. Those are such an encouragement to my spirit. 

Thanks for reading and thanks so much for your constant friendship! 

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Wholeness Does Not Mean Perfection

Wholeness Does Not Mean Perfection

I guess I am not a whole person. You see, I’ve had some body alterations. Toes amputated on my left foot, three heart bypasses in one surgery, a broken left arm and other scrapes, dents, flaws, and weaknesses.

So, I guess I’m not perfect either. Hmmm. This idea strikes me tonight as I write.

Parker Palmer said this: “Wholeness does not mean perfection. It means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.”

Whew! That kind of takes the pressure off, doesn’t it?

Wouldn’t it be grand if we were perfect? Life would be a breeze if everything we did, or sought, or thought, or talked about was perfect.

So, what do we do?

Looks to me like we embrace our broken places. We accept our flaws, our impurities, or proclivities, our weaknesses, our less-than-righteous tendencies. We accept the cracks that occur in our lives, our goals, and dreams, and do life anyway. Sometimes that means getting over ourselves,

Oh, I want to be perfect. People like me when I am perfect. When I balance to a zero difference in banking, I’m perfect. And you should see me on the days when I’m off balance. Ouch. That is not a pretty sight.

When I write a really great blog, or produce a great podcast, that’s amazing. I’m approaching near perfection. And when I don’t, I write and do podcasts anyway.

We keep going. We keep trying. We keep doing life.

In Brennan Manning’s book, Ruthless Trust, he tells a story about a cracked pot. Here is my re-telling.

Once upon a time there was a water bearer who had two large pots. Each hung on opposite ends of a pole that he carried across his neck.

One of the pots was perfect. The other had a crack in it.

The perfect pot always delivered a full measure of water to their master’s table, while the cracked pot leaked and arrived with only half a measure. Needless to say, the cracked pot was discouraged. He was ashamed of his performance because of his cracks. He didn’t feel useful.

One day, the cracked pot spoke to the water-bearer. “I am ashamed of myself. I only deliver a portion of what you expect of me each trip to the well. You see, I have cracks and I lose most of my measure of water all the way back home.”

The water-bearer smiled and replied, “My poor cracked pot. As we walk home today, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

And sure enough, there were dozens and hundreds of beautiful and colorful flowers on his side, all along the path home.

The water-bearer pointed out, “Did you notice that there were flowers only along your side of the path and not on the side of the perfect pot? I know about your flaws. Every day for two years, as we have walked this path, you have been watering the seeds on your side and they have grown into beautiful flowers. Without you being just the way you are we would be looking at brown dirt, not graceful beauty.

Maybe, my dear cracked pot, you need to embrace your imperfections. You are whole, nevertheless, despite your imperfections.”

You see ... the cracked pot was useful after all. Sure, he leaked, sure he was considered less than, because he delivered less than the other pot. However, he had his purposes to fulfill, and he learned to do just that.

Wow! This gives a whole new sense of wholeness and perfection to our lives, doesn’t it?

If you need a spiritual application to this analogy, here it is.

God takes our imperfect cracks and weaknesses and teaches us a new sense of purpose, a new way to be whole and complete. We are useful, even in the middle of our imperfections.

Will we allow that to happen? I am. And I hope you are too.

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

What People Seek

What People Seek

I am a people person. For me, it has always been about building relationships. The many people I’ve met over the years of my living have added such color and freshness to my life. That is one of the reasons I write along the lines that I write. This I understand about people.

“One of the great cries of the human heart is this ...

People Seek Meaning 

People Seek Connection

People want to know that their lives matter, that they are making a difference, a contribution in this world.

I think often of Oprah’s comments on her last televised show. She said this.

"I’ve talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation.

"If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: ‘Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you? 

~Oprah Winfrey

People seek meaning in their lives. They want to know if they mean anything special to someone else, and they want their lives to have some kind of impactful meaning.

In a quiet house, on a quiet street, the mailman was working his way to every home, delivering whatever was in his bag for each residence.

Later that same day a phone call was placed. I answered.

“Hi, Michael. I got your note today.” And then she broke down and sobbed.

After later reflection, this is what I know. Though she could not put into words at that moment what she was feeling, she communicated, nevertheless. And what she said was this:

“I felt cherished today.”
“I felt loved and appreciated.” 

“You thought of me.”
“You recognized me.”

For me, it was a simple note of thanks for some act of kindness my friend had performed at our church.

For her, it was recognition, validation. Someone (me) stopped and said, “Hey, I see you. I know you and I thank you.”

Oprah said it well: “One of mankind’s greatest needs is the need to feel validated.”

When I was ten, my brother and I were mowing the yard one hot August afternoon in Tennessee. Our Dad pulled into the driveway, tossed out a brand-new baseball and glove, and then drove away.

He didn’t say anything -- he simply waved and drove away. We felt significant, cherished.

Everyone needs to feel esteemed, loved, acknowledged and that they are significant. Everyone, at some time in life, needs to be cherished.

How can we do this for others in our lives?
-Place an assuring hand on one’s shoulder and offer affirming words.

-Place a well-timed phone call and say esteeming words. 

-Send a handwritten note in the mail.

-Write a significant email of appreciation and thankfulness. 

-Send or hand-deliver a bunch of flowers unexpectedly.

-Buy a small gift, simply because it fits someone you cherish, and you want to acknowledge their significance in your life.

Back in 2012 I wrote a blog that got more clicks than any other to date at that time. It was called “Carolyn Left Me Today.” She had to fly to Phoenix to see her parents.

As we were nearing the airport we were having light conversation and she turned to me and said. “One thing I know as I go on this trip is that my cup is very full because of your love and esteeming ways and for the way you care for me.”

What an incredible thing to hear.

We look for ways to fill each other’s buckets. We esteem each other.
We talk.
We listen.

We take time for each other.
We love to take our 2-night 3-day getaways just to be together.

Just this past Friday I received a text from her. She is out of town with her daughter and granddaughter. She texted – “Just thinking of you in the in- between moments. I love you.”

I’m not a trained therapist, nor a marriage counselor, not even a relationship expert, but as I think about this blog today, some things come to my mind that I think make a huge difference in our relationship. May I share them with you?

1. We love. We find ways of loving each other. Sometimes it is a phone call. Sometimes it a $5 bunch of flowers from Pike Place Market. Every morning it is my responsibility to make her breakfast. She loves my scrambled eggs. Found out recently so do some of our grands. She will occasionally surprise me with an amazingly special dinner. Recently it was pot roast. Oh my. All these tiny actions say, “I love you.” “I cherish you.” “I adore you.” And we use the words too, in our relationship, every day – several times each day.

2. We play. We both carry a heavy schedule every week, but we live for Saturday and Sunday. I’ll never schedule an Up-Words day on the weekend without first talking with CB and finding out what she is interested in doing or where she wants to go. I can write anywhere, and at any time. I don’t want my writing to interfere with our time together. We put a lot into our days together. We do some “on- purpose” living on those days. Sometimes it a trip to a museum, or to the beach. We’ve caught more sunsets during our years of marriage than I caught all the rest of my years of living put together.

3. We talk. No, seriously – we talk. At meals, in the morning while getting ready, and any other time we are together, there is conversation. And especially at night, when I come home, we make it a point of stopping what we are doing, we embrace, we kiss, and then begin dinner prep.  We focus on each other, we look at each other, and we are in the moment, together. This is huge!

4. We laugh. During our phone chats each day I always look for something to say to crack her up. We laugh together. We enjoy life together. And we love.

All these points simply add up to this: we fill each other’s buckets. We don’t dip into each other’s bucket with hurtful, sassy, demeaning comments. We esteem one another. We look for the good. We say words that heal, not words that hurt. What a way to relate.

Our buckets are very full.

We seek on purpose to live in relationship, to offer meaning to each other and to find ways to connect.

You know what? The people around you want the same connections and meaningfulness in their relationships.

Give the greatest of gifts – VALIDATION!

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Who Are You Becomming?

 Who Are You Becoming?

See this picture quote?

I know for sure what we 

dwell on is who we become

I happen to believe this. I’m living proof – past and present.

I talked of being a writer for over thirty years. And that is pretty much all it was – talk. Oh, I published my first article at age 28 and got paid $22 for it. But I didn’t buy into me being a writer.

Later, in other jobs, I wrote a lot of stuff – video scripts, marketing brochures, you know the drill, and yet never adopted the label ‘writer’.

Ah, but in 2009 I started taking my writing urge seriously and began my first blog. Even then, the fear of not having enough content to sustain a weekly blog plagued me. Mystery of mysteries, I kept finding subjects that needed my touch, my perspective. And now, fourteen years later I own six blog sites.

And ... I have published five books. After publishing my first book, I finally found the courage to call myself a ‘writer’.

In my earlier adult life, I attracted images of myself that were less than esteeming. As time wore on, I’m afraid I dwelt on those negative, harsh words and phrases that others had attached to me, and I began believing some of them.

The worst of all was this ... “You’re an accident looking for a place to happen.”

I’m glad many of you didn’t know me in those days. Even though those words were spoken to me almost fifty years ago, I believed a bit of that idea, and thus it affected my self-esteem, self-worth, self-confidence, and my ability to perform on a consistent basis in life.

You see, the principle of “Whatever a man thinks in his heart (mind, soul and inner being), so is he” was at play, only I was tuned into the negative images and words. Wise sages, ancient philosophers, and men and women of learning have taught us for years about the importance of good and wholesome thoughts and how we should direct our attention to those ideals and lay off the negative, put-down language that tends to run free-will though our minds in constant stream mode.

This is a hard lesson to grasp. And those negative thoughts and ideas that we allow to live rent-free in our minds are hard to corral sometimes.

But corral them we must! We must take charge of our minds when in neutral, or when discouraged, or disappointed, or after a major loss of some kind.

It is a conditioning of the mind of which I speak. WE are the masters of our own minds. Others may say those awful words of hurt, however, we are the door keeper of our own minds. WE decide if we will allow them to run free or do we arrest them sooner than soon?

There are many excellent words and phrases that disciplined people find useful. Here are some of them.

I can.
I will.
I like myself.
I approve of myself.
I am capable.
I am better than that.
I may be down but I’m not out.
If I fall seven times, I’ll stand up eight.

What are you listening to in your mind?
Can you see the importance of changing those loop-to-loop soundtracks to different, more positive words and phrases?

I so strongly believe in the power of words that my company name is Up-Words. I say – I will speak Up-Words to every person I meet. I will look for the good in others and compliment those good traits on every occasion in which I am able.

I remember a story Dale Carnegie wrote in his book "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
One day he walked by a man standing outside his office building. The gentleman was holding a sign begging for a handout of any kind.

Rather than give the man money, Mr. Carnegie looked him over and finally commented, “My goodness. You surely have tied your shoelaces nice and neat."

Mr. Carnegie thought no more of that incident.

The next morning Mr. Carnegie's secretary announced that a gentleman was there to see him. Dale showed the gentleman into his office, who was dressed in his Sunday best, wearing a fresh shirt and tie and shined shoes. And his hair was neatly combed and his face cleanly shaved.

The man began. "Perhaps you don't remember me but yesterday I was standing outside your office building begging for money. You walked by, looked me over, and then commented on how nicely my shoelaces were tied. You wouldn't have known this, but I had already decided that I was going to go and throw myself into the river unless I got some kind of sign that somebody somewhere might still care about me."

He continued.

"Your words gave me hope. I reasoned that if I could do that one thing of tying my shoelaces neatly then perhaps, I could still find other things I could do with success. I decided then and there that I would clean up and make something useful of myself. You gave me hope in those few words, Mr. Carnegie. Thank you."

My favorite quote on the power of words.

“Never underestimate the power

of the right words spoken at the right time.”

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

Encouragement

Inspiration

One Word at a Time!

Have Hope / Give Hope

 Have Hope / Give Hope

Do you have hope? Does it bubble up in your heart? How are your dreams? They are first cousins to hope, you know.

Some word pundits say, 'Hope is not a strategy'. However, I wouldn't want to go through life without hope.

Remember this:

Man can live ...

Forty days without food

Three days without water

Eight minutes without air

Only one second without hope.

(Unknown)

If this quote is true, and I believe it is, then I don't want to live one second without hope.

Hope whispers of what might be. Hope offers the seed of a promise in waiting, perhaps.

This quote by Mr. Emerson is significant. Talk about hope. It is the essence of which we speak.

"Our chief want is someone

who will inspire us to be

what we know we could be."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

How about that? A could be in the making. I like that a lot.

We seek a savior who dispenses hope. We seek someone who will come along in our lives and say the magic words that we all long to hear. Those life-giving words of esteem and good will.

Oprah said it so well on her last televised show.

"I've talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation. If I could reach through this television and sit on your sofa or sit on a stool in your kitchen right now, I would tell you that every single person you will ever meet shares that common desire. They want to know: 'Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?'

They all had hope. Hope that someone somewhere would recognize them as valid and worthwhile individuals. Hope that they were living a life of significance or could live a life of significance.

Oprah goes on to say. "Try it with your spouse. Try it with your kids. Try it with those with whom you are in a relationship. Validate them. 'I see you. I hear you. And what you say matters to me.'"

That action alone gives a person hope. Great hope.
I remember a story Dale Carnegie wrote in his book "How to Win Friends and Influence People."

One day he walked by a man standing outside his office building. The gentleman was holding a sign begging for a handout of any kind.

Rather than give the man money, Mr. Carnegie looked him over and finally commented, “My goodness. You surely have tied your shoelaces nice and neat."

Mr. Carnegie thought no more of that incident.

The next morning Mr. Carnegie's secretary announced that a gentleman was there to see him. Dale showed the gentleman into his office, who was dressed in his Sunday best, wearing a fresh shirt and tie and shined shoes. And his hair was neatly combed and his face cleanly shaved.

The man began. "Perhaps you don't remember me but yesterday I was standing outside your office building begging for money. You walked by, looked me over, and then commented on how nicely my shoelaces were tied. You wouldn't have known this, but I had already decided that I was going to go and throw myself into the river unless I got some kind of sign that somebody somewhere might still care about me."

He continued.

"Your words gave me hope. I reasoned that if I could do that one thing of tying my shoelaces neatly then perhaps, I could still find other things I could do with success. I decided then and there that I would clean up and make something useful of myself. You gave me hope in those few words, Mr. Carnegie. Thank you."

I think Dr. Seuss might be onto something with this memorable quote.

"A person's a person,

no matter how small."

~Dr. Seuss

~Every person should have
  a chance to have hope.
        ~Every person has worth.
                ~Every person needs
                  some kind of recognition
                  that they exist.

I want to be a dispenser of hope. How about you?

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Can Dark Days Make Us Strong?

 Can Dark Days Make Us Strong?

Have you had dark days recently? Life sometimes has a way of upsetting the apple cart, as we used to say.

Ponder this quote. What does it whisper to you considering your dark days?

“My dark days made me strong. 

Or maybe I already was strong, 

and they made me prove it.” 

~Emery Lord

At this point in life, I’m finding strength and persistence that I never knew I had.

I’m six years past my triple-bypass heart surgery and doing quite well. My blood pressure is in good ranges, I see my cardiologist regularly and he gives me good marks all around.

Over Thanksgiving I began frequent trips to the gym again, and I’m loving it. Remember I had all my toes on the left foot amputated 3 years ago. You would never know of the amputation to watch me walk now.

Dark days haven’t slowed me down. The quote for this blog IS true.

I hope you are proving some things to yourself now that might have been a bygone way of living.

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Discovering Silence

 Discovering Silence

I am a drummer. Drums are loud, not silent except perhaps in the opening few bars Ravel’s Bolero. That is almost silence.

Music has been my life all my life. There are splashes of silence throughout most musical compositions in the form of rests, but they are fleeting seconds at best.

So, what is the meaning of discovering “silence”?

In moments of trauma, of distress, of my world being upset and knocked off balance – these are times when I’ve discovered silence. There is peace and comfort in silence, if one can truly embrace that soundless oasis. And it is not for the faint of heart.

In moments of personal crisis and in peaceful seasons of calm and bliss, I’ve found myself longing for silence, desperately needing silence. Isn’t that odd of a drummer? Sound and noise are what drumming is all about.

Ah, but those moments of silence.

As I age, I find my need for silence growing with intensity. The peace and calm of silence is what I seek.  No noise, no sounds, not even Dvorak’s New World Symphony.  I simply need silence.

Silence allows us to hear the unheard, the silent voices, the whispers from a bigger, wiser source to seep through to our souls and minds. Some call this meditation, and that’s good. Some call it tuning into a higher power, and that’s good. Some call it the calm in the middle of the storm, and if that metaphor works for you then that’s good.

The world is a noisy place. Multitudes of musical tastes can be had from numerous sources if one chooses. Traffic is thick and loud in our larger cities. Jets zoom overhead, car horns blare, babies cry, dogs bark, balloons pop, doors slam, people interrupt, dishes get banged, our electronic gadgets put out an abundance of sound. Carolyn and I fall asleep to the sound of a machine that produces “white noises’, and it's all good. This “white noise” is supposed to mask my snoring, and any other sounds that seep in through our windows and walls in the night.

I suppose that is a form of discovering silence through steady sound. How ironic is that!

Ah, but the healing power of silence is magical. When we reach those moments of peaceful bliss in silent retreat, well, that is a slice of Heaven.

These silent and still moments don’t come easy, AND we make them happen. It is an on-purpose kind of experience that is sought, not bought.

We decide to have a moment in time of silence, a break from noise, and intrusions into our bombarded senses.

My friend Mitch often seeks his silent moments in nature. On Facebook, I often travel with him to some amazing, gorgeous landscapes and mountain vistas that our Pacific Northwest has to offer.

I’ve often driven to Sunset Avenue here in Edmonds just to sit and watch and listen. The Puget Sound has its own rhythm of the tides coming and going, and the Seagulls gliding and riding the currents in majestic quietness. All of this is a great source of peace and beauty.

The radio stays off. The windows are rolled up. The walkers and runners and bikers pass by with not a sound that interrupts my moment of bliss. I’ve even known moments of sleep or dozing in the middle of all this beauty. How about that? Isn’t that a perfect picture of discovering silence?

And what do I hear in the middle of these moments of silence? Oh, there is nothing audible that I come away with. But what it does for my soul and my psyche is immeasurable. Sometimes I have viewed my Sunset Avenue times as being in a ‘Sorting Hat’ machine. The ‘Sorting Hat’ comes from the Harry Potter movies and is used to place new students into one of four houses in which to live. I have been able to sort thoughts, problems, health issues and ways to allow my body to heal. I listen for the gentle nudging’s of what I call “God” in my moments of silence. And I’ve retreated into silence when writing so that I can touch a deeper part of my soul and instincts that bring to light an occasional idea in need of expansion.

Silence works for me. I often come away from these moments with a renewed energy, some new thoughts, and new and improved desires with which to serve Carolyn, my family and mankind.

I love my moments of discovering silence.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Where Does Your Worst Enemy Live?

 Where Does Your Worst Enemy Live?

What a great question. And one worth some thought.

This is important, so stay tuned and read all the way to the end. I found this quote tonight and it is the centerpiece for this blog.

“Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.” ~Laird Hamilton

Oh my, the conversations we have with ourselves. They would be great comedy if they weren’t so true.

I’ve had running monologues with myself along these lines: 

~I can’t.

 ~I don’t know how. 

   ~ I might fail.

    ~People will laugh.
     ~It’s already been done before.

      ~I tried once and failed.
       ~I don’t want to look like a fool.

        ~She might say ‘no’.
        ~ I will lose my shirt if I invest in that.

         ~I don’t trust myself.

Well, I could continue, and by now you get the general idea.

We sabotage ourselves by what Zig Ziggler called ‘Stinkin’ Thinkin’.

Bottom line, we don’t believe. We are non-believers in ourselves and our worth.

I’ve told this story before, and again it proves beneficial. I was in my sixties before I realized I could do some things with great success and confidence.

One day, while reading Louise Hayes’ book “You Can Heal Your Life”, I read this four-word phrase.

I approve of myself.

I remember that day very clearly. I stopped reading, put the book down, and had a serious heart-to-heart with myself. For the first time in my life, I realized that I really had never believed in and approved of myself. Oh, I had had a few successes in life. I was a capable drummer, a fair singer, a good minister of music, and good at a few other career tracts I had followed, but in the course of life and in the study of P Michael Biggs, I had one major failure. I have never come to the place of approving of myself, my talents, my likes, my personality, my good side, and my own ideas.

I suppose it took me nearly an hour to cover that idea in relationship to my own life. At the end of that hour, I decided, yes, DECIDED that it was about time that I stepped up to the plate of self-esteem and self-analysis and start the process of approving of myself. I was not a bad person with a ton of secrets. No, no. I had not robbed a bank, cheated anyone, committed murder, or done anything worthy of jail time. I simply had never fully and completely believed in myself, my goodness, and my worth.

I made a laminated business-card size pocket reminder and for the next year, I suppose I pulled that card out and read it a dozen times a day. And the magic began to happen. I began to approve of myself.

I didn’t suddenly become Model Citizen of the Year, nor the best employee my employer ever had. I didn’t win the Noble Peace Price, I didn’t run for President, and I didn’t win the lottery. Carolyn didn’t like me, yeah, love me more. I doubt she even noticed the changes taking place inside of me, but I noticed. I walked with a bit more confidence. Not cockiness, not self- righteous pride, or narcissism. I just simply began approving of myself. I was quieting the voice in my head that had been plaguing me all my life. The voice of can’t, won’t, not worthy, I’m inferior.

The little kid that used to wear torn jeans and black tennis shoes was going away. You see, white tennis shoes were the fashion statement of my day, and torn jeans wouldn’t come along for another sixty years. I was beginning to believe in ME.

Just writing these words and going into this much detail is having a cathartic effect on me. I’ve never told this much of this part of my journey toward self-approval. It was indeed a marker in my life. And it made a difference.

Because of these circumstances, I realize now that my life’s mission is directly tied to those feelings of failure, and lack of confidence in myself. I want to help others find their own sense of self-worth and self-confidence, and I want to help a few people come to a place of declaring “I APPROVE OF MYSELF.”

If you have followed my blogging for the past thirteen years, you’ve read several blogs dealing with failure and how to overcome the label of “FAILURE”. The bottom line is this ... I may have failed at something, but I am not a failure.

My prayer is that this blog today will speak to someone’s heart and mind. I hope and pray you find your own ways to defeat your own worst enemy, the one living between your two ears. It takes hard work. It is not easy, and it IS necessary.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

What Will I Accomplish Today?

 What Will I Accomplish Today?

Mary Oliver once said,

“I wonder what it is I will accomplish today?

I am 73 years old. Some might say I am in the sunset years of my life. I suppose death could overtake me at any moment. I hope not.

You see, I still dream dreams, I still have blogs to write, podcasts to produce, new friendships to court, and old friends whose lives I’ve not yet completely explored.

I can do things, I can think thoughts, I can speak and meditate on the good in this world, and I can still love. I’m not through loving Carolyn yet. I still enjoy holding her hand, having light and fluffy conversations, and when we have those heart moments when we go a bit deeper – well, it’s simply the best. We talk about each other, and about our kids and grandkids, our siblings, and all others close and dear to us.

I want to live and keep living. Life is good, despite what we’ve faced these past five years ago.

Heart surgery was no fun, but we’ve gone way beyond that.
Three amputation surgeries were horrible to endure, and thankfully we’ve moving beyond those as well.

I’m seventy-three. I can still see some distant horizons that excite me. There are places I want to go. There are skills and experiences yet to be brought to the light of day.

Can I accomplish anything with my life at seventy-three? Oh my, you better believe I can. And so can you.

A friend of mine posted the following on Facebook recently. I shared it on my page and have received an unusual number of likes and hits.

"A study in the U.S.A found that the most productive age in human life is between 60-70 years of age.
~The 2nd. most productive stage of the human being is from 70 to 80 years of age.

~The 3rd. most productive stage is from 50 to 60 years of age.
~The average age of NOBEL PRIZE winners is 62 years old.
~The average age of the presidents of prominent companies in the world is 63 years.
~The average age of the pastors of the 100 largest churches in the U.S.A. is 71.
~The average age of the Popes is 76 years.

This tells us that the best years of our lives are between 60 and 80 years. A book review published in NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE found that at age 60, you reach the TOP of your potential, and this continues into your 80s."

For those of us above the age of 60, we are in the greatest and most productive time of our lives.

How about that!

Let’s go accomplish something today.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

This is my morning reflection.

Baloney and the Banquet

 Baloney and the Banquet 

We had some good friends over for a meal recently. Never in our wildest imagination would we have considered serving them baloney sandwiches. Not on your life. Carolyn whipped up an amazing lasagna with all the appropriate side dished and we feasted.

Baloney ...

Not the food for kings and good friends. Now, I like baloney as an occasional sandwich for lunch, but not for serving to guests.

Keep reading, please.

This story is from Come Share the Being by Bob Benson
Do you remember when they had old-fashioned Sunday school picnics? It

was before air-conditioning.
They said,
“We’ll meet at Sycamore Lodge in Shelby Park at 4:30 Saturday. You bring your supper and we’ll furnish the tea.”

But you came home at the last minute and when you got read to pack your lunch all you could find in the refrigerator was one piece of dried up baloney and just enough mustard in the bottom of the jar so that you got it all over our knuckles trying to get to it.

And there were just two stale pieces of bread.

So, you made your baloney sandwich and wrapped it in some brown bag and went to the picnic.

And when it came time to eat, you sat at the end of the table and spread out your sandwich.

But the folks next to you – the lady was a good cook – and she had worked all day and she had fried chicken, and baked beans, and potato salad, and homemade roles, and sliced tomatoes and pickles, and olives, and celery, and topped it all off with two big homemade chocolate pies.

And they spread it all out beside you and there you were with your baloney sandwich.

But they said to you, “Why don’t we put it all together?”

“No, I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t even think if it,” you murmured embarrassedly.

“Oh, come on, there’s plenty of chicken and plenty of pie, and plenty of everything – and we just love baloney sandwiches. Let’s just put it all together.”

And so, you did and there you sat, eating like a king when you came like a pauper.

Sometimes, we don’t have much to offer ... in life, to friends and family, and to God. It seems our contribution is a dried-up piece of baloney between two pieces of stale bread, and yet we’re offered a feast from some kindly neighbor next door, or a friend far away, or a measure of mercy from God himself.

This is not a pity party, so please hold a more lofty thought of me for a few minutes.

At this very moment, it seems I’m in the baloney days of my life. I had amputee surgery 4 1⁄2 weeks ago on my left toes. For three weeks, I had to be waited on hand and foot, no pun intended.

As I write this, I can see a dozen cards from friends and family wishing me healing, peace, comfort and good thoughts and prayers. And my in-box has been filled with words and expressions of love and healing thoughts as well. My baloney has turned dry and moldy during this ordeal, and yet, these cherished ones of mine have given me banquet food to eat in the form of thoughts, prayers and actions. I haven’t even been able to respond to anyone, but I cherish each and every gesture, prayer, meal brought in, and kind word expressed.

I have received grace and kindness, my friends. God has turned my baloney experience into a banquet of esteeming loving gestures and thoughts and prayers of health and good will.

It has been 4 1⁄2 weeks since surgery. I am now able to hobble about our condo sometimes with my walker, but most of the time without. I hold onto walls and furniture for balance and am making it OK. It’s not pretty, but I’m improving.

God’s grace IS sustaining Carolyn and me through it all. Her care for me is the BEST, and to my medical team – you are my heroes.

If you’ve ever gone through ‘baloney’ days, be encouraged. When you can’t give out as in days past, perhaps it is time to feast on the goodness of others. They will graciously take your ‘baloney’ offering and replace it with your own personal feast.

And know this ... God is nearby. Always and forever.

Morning Notes Blog Site

This is my morning reflection.

P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

The World Is Noisy

The World Is Noisy

The world is noisy.  And we search for peace and quiet.  Hard to find?  Perhaps.  Sometimes we make our own space, time and place for peace and calm. 

It’s important, you know.  There is a lot of stuff in this world that seeks to distract us.  That is why I’ve seriously curbed my TV watching over the past few years.  With the availability of streaming, if we’re going to watch, we pick what, when and for how long.  TV is not the dictator.  I dictate.

My important places for moments of peace and quiet are …

~Sitting along Sunset Avenue here in Edmonds.  I get to watch seagulls glide on the wings of the wind, and watch the water traffic, walkers, and all else in my view.  It is quiet an oasis.

~Anytime and anyplace when the crashing of the waves can be found.  What is it about that particular sound that appeals to so many?

~Mountain views and lake views add a sense of peace and calm anytime I can partake.

~I’ve had a few quiet moments in libraries.  They don’t allow noise and distractions in those places.  I love that kind of stillness.

~My home office provides an amazingly peaceful space.  I’m here now, at 4:44AM, and all is well in my world.

Stop the chatter.

Halt the social media feed.

Turn off the radio, TV, and other electronic devices, and go to the quiet place.

What a great gift to give to yourself.

This is my

morning reflection.

Morning Notes Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration