It wasn’t supposed to end this way. Jon had gone to bed, my husband had taken our older sons out to dinner, and I was home preparing for the week ahead. Typically, Sunday evenings are spent preparing for the week: packing lunches, putting away laundry, and picking up around our place. While I mopped the […]
Category: Family Life/Caregivers
Attacking the Killer in Your Front Yard
I had tried EVERYTHING . . . or so I thought. When we moved into our current home 12 years ago, I put a little pizzazz into the yard. I added trees and plants, which offered color, shade, beauty, and dimension. For years, I worked in my yard, tending my plants and making sure to […]
Stress and Compassion Fatigue in Caregiving Families
Guest Post and Caregiver Questionnaire by Jolene Philo
My friend Jolene Philo is a seasoned caregiver. She’s my “go-to” friend when I feel like I can’t go on. Jolene is writing a book focused on helping caregivers live more fully and abundantly while juggling their many demands. To cover the topic well she put together a very short questionnaire, and the response was […]
Who Takes Care of the Caregiver?
Guest Post by Cindi Ferrini
Greetings all my Reframing Friends, I’m in the process of finishing a book so I’ve asked several guests to write posts for me. Cindi is amazing. I’m sure you will love what you read below. Who Takes Care of the Caregiver? By Cindi Ferrini Adjustments to any challenge are difficult, especially when it is both […]
How the Grinch Saved Christmas
Merry Christmas to you, my friend! For some, this day is filled with delightful memories. For many others, Christmas is full of inner conflicts and surfacing sorrows. One of my dear friends, Kelli Ra Anderson, understands this like few others. Kelli lives with enormous challenges that she has learned to embrace over the years. Two […]
Watchful over the Holidays
Guest Post by Joe and Cindi Ferrini
Years ago, I was introduced to one of the most amazing couples I’ve ever met. Parents of children with disabilities bond immediately. It was no different with Joe, Cindi, and me. I have enormous respect for Joe and Cindi; they have seen and heard the best and worst of me over the years. Traveling and […]
Priceless Presents from My Friend Joe
The holidays aren’t all that happy for those hurting. Past painful experiences or current hardships cast a heavy blanket over bright lights and joyful hearts. My dear friend Joe Padilla, co-founder of Grace Alliance, understands this so well. Having endured many harsh holiday seasons, his wisdom for how to help the hurting is profound and […]
How to Lavishly Love the Holidays for the Rest of Your Life
It started at Target. I was attempting to stick to my shopping list . . . a continual challenge. Anyone with off-the-charts attention and focus issues like me understands this all too well. Picking up “a few things” on my list from any store larger than a roadside fruit stand is like plopping a nervous […]
When I Fell in Love with Thanksgiving
My love affair with Thanksgiving takes me all the way back to my boyhood days. I had just turned 10 years of age and was in fifth grade at Southmayd Elementary School in East Houston. As I recall, I was still going barefoot to school—and I combed my hair, maybe three times a week. Girls […]
A Riddle That Will Revolutionize Your Life
What comes in all shapes and sizes, creates a big mess, requires constant attention, but eventually offers great fulfillment? Could it be . . . A new puppy? Seasons in marriage? A garden during harvest time? Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? Moving into a new home? Starting a new job? Oh, you’re so close! Stick with […]
Why You Must Put On Your Oxygen Mask First
Boarding an airplane is a bit like herding cattle. There are a bazillion people juggling babies, bottles, and bags that must be seated, settled, or stored in spaces the size of leftover Tupperware containers. Then, in the midst of all the chaos, the lovely flight attendant begins the “Emergency Oxygen Mask” speech. It’s something like: […]
How to Help People Survive Suffering
It was a morning I’ll never forget. My folks called and asked me to come by the house. Their typical enthusiastic tone was absent; in its place was a serious sadness I couldn’t identify. I opened the door and saw red, tearful eyes, their carriage weighing heavy with each step. We sat down. Everything was […]