Blog Posts for Gail Perry Johnston

My Work

Gail Perry Johnston — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:15:50 -0800

Work is not my problem. It never has been, even while having babies and fighting carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s a pleasure and privilege to greet my computer in my PJs every morning after the kids catch the bus. I work until the fear of an unexpected visitor makes me jump up and run for a shower, or at least a pair of jeans. Even having to stop for food is sometimes a bother, although I always ...

Stockings Before Christmas

Gail Perry Johnston — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:51:14 -0800

This morning, while trying to stay somewhat asleep as I pulled another blanket on myself, a thought suddenly struck me: it’s Christmas and I haven’t done the stockings! Panic! I sprung up, scurried downstairs, and ran around in my husband’s boxer shorts, ignoring the chill on my bare legs and feet. As I frantically pushed items of various shapes and small sizes into my kids’ stockings, ...

Comments on The Shack

Gail Perry Johnston — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:07:45 -0800

As a member of the online community of Shelfari.com, I receive regular inquiries that ask, "Should I read The Shack?" From now on, I'd like to point the inquirers to a brief review here...The Shack creatively tackles complicated spiritual challenges, such as how to forgive when unthinkable things happen. It is thrilling to me that so many people are reading this book and being presented ...

A CAB RIDE BEYOND CONTROL

Gail Perry Johnston — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:23:58 -0700

My cab driver did not show up at 7 a.m. as planned the night before. After twenty minutes passed, I told the hotel clerk, "You've got to take me. The cab you said would be here is NOT here, and a live TV show is something you can not be late for."Just as he was conceding to take me, a cab appears with a disoriented driver. Later I was to find out that he was called to work at the last ...

Forgiveness: Getting Rid of the Angst

Gail Perry Johnston — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:00:01 -0700

How can I not speak on this week’s topic? Forgiveness is critical to a life that involves relationships, whether they be with family, co-workers, friends, neighbors, or people who bag your groceries. And what is a life if it doesn’t involve relationships?Without forgiveness, we live in angst. I know because I’ve been there. Whenever I hear tips on how to forgive, I jot them down. Little ...

Critism is a Kill-joy

Gail Perry Johnston — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:44:44 -0700

Criticism is a kill-joy, even when it’s not personally directed at us. As a kid, I remember feeling slightly wounded when my mother criticized our neighbors for buying a house they couldn’t afford to furnish. They had a big house with indefinitely empty rooms. I understood my mom (she worked awfully hard to beautify our home on a budget), but it was a downer to hear her diss the ...

Jellyfish Assisted Suicide: An Unsolicited Review of the Movie Seven Pounds

Gail Perry Johnston — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:36:00 -0700

Seven Pounds is confusing—not because of its complex plot that leaves you bewildered for the first twenty minutes (or longer if you miss the significance of the killer jellyfish) – but because of the life and death questions it evokes. I saw the movie with a few teenagers and wondered as we sat in sobering silence afterwards, “How do I help them make sense of this?” A disproportionate ...

Staying Alive

Gail Perry Johnston — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:11:24 -0700

My husband turned away from the computer after checking his email, lowered his head, and made a quiet but indescribable noise. “What happened? What’s the matter? Did someone die?” I asked, myself abruptly standing because I don’t take bad news sitting down. Worse. Death in the worst way. Suicide. A old family friend had killed himself. I only met the person once, but I ...

The Social Cause Diet: Find A Service That Feeds Your Soul

Gail Perry Johnston — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:01:29 -0700

I am collecting stories of satisfying acts of service for VOLUME TWO of THE SOCIAL CAUSE DIET and all are welcome to submit. Please visit http://www.socialcausediet.com for more information. The introduction for VOLUME ONE follows.

Introduction to The Social Cause Diet

Volunteering and health appear to be tied together. Evidence suggests that a regimen of helping others may be as ...