To Inspire: This season is one in which Christians celebrate the gift of Jesus Christ – a gift that can never be fully repaid. It got me thinking about our gift giving. So often we give gifts to those who also will give gifts to us. A suggestion for this beautiful season of giving – […]

To Inspire: People call Veronika Scott the Coat Lady, and that’s a nickname she’s proud of. Veronika is the founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, a Detroit nonprofit dedicated to helping people break the cycle of poverty and homeless, all while making coats. While in design school, the Detroit native was assigned a project […]

To Inspire: Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for many of us. We gather with family and friends without the pressure of gift giving and we celebrate the many blessings that all of us have received. Earlier this week, I (Matt) was blessed to take 40 men (clients, friends, etc.) up to Marion Correctional Institution. There […]

To Inspire: Yesterday was Veterans Day. Begun on November 11, 1919, it was originally called Armistice Day and was chosen as the day to honor the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, which signaled the end of WWI. It was commemorated in 1921 with the burial of an unknown […]

To Inspire: You’ve probably heard the saying “it’s never too late to learn something new,” but actually diving into new hobbies or trying to learn new skills as adult can seem challenging. According to Tom Vanderbilt, author of Beginnings, one thing that often stands between us and learning a new skill is mindset, and embracing […]

To Inspire: Let’s continue our reflection on beauty as an important part of a great life. There are so many ways to experience beauty in our lives – allow me to offer five: Get outside. Every morning I take Ike, our 3 year old Bernese Mountain dog, to Wolfe park for a walk. It’s an […]

To Inspire:   I (Matt) came across this March 2019 blog post from a freelance journalist, Eric Carlson and thought you would enjoy it. Entitled Why Beauty is Important for our Lives and our Cities, Eric touches on a theme we’ve often reflected on – the importance of beauty in living a great life – […]

To Inspire:   One afternoon in March 2021, Ekiben restaurant in Baltimore got an email. But instead of an order, or catering request, it was a man asking for a recipe. The man, Brandon Jones, was writing for the recipe for tempura broccoli topped with fresh herbs, diced onion, and fermented cucumber vinegar. Brandon was […]

To Inspire:  Years ago, one of my college-age sons invited his girlfriend at the time to our family Christmas gathering. After dinner, we all sat around playing Catch Phrase. Are you familiar with it? You divide into two teams and when it’s your team’s turn, one of your teammates gets 60 seconds to offer clues […]

To Inspire: Last week Lisa and I (Matt) spent Sunday afternoon with our family out at Lynd’s Fruit Farm – picking apples, going on a hayride and enjoying time with our children and their families. It was a beautiful fall day and we LOVED the entire outing. There’s a reason F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “life […]