How many times have we heard someone say, “God has a wonderful plan for your life”? I stopped counting years ago; maybe you have too. Reconciling the truth that God’s plan for our lives is good when all we are experiencing is pain can cause tremendous confusion. After all, Scripture emphatically says: Jesus “came that […]
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Two Inescapable Truths You Must Embrace
And how to do it today.
It started like most days when I work at home . . . coffee, comfy sweats, quiet music, definitely no make-up. My son Austin was home from college for a visit. He was showing me some stuff I needed to do to be healthy—an almost impossible task—and we laughed, I listened, and I promised to […]
A Great Panic Attack Can Change Everything
After my first marriage fell apart, I vowed that Christ would return before I would ever consider getting married again. Why on earth would one desire a messier life than I had created by age 40 . . . HONESTLY! Meeting people—well, okay . . . men—occasionally wasn’t problematic. People fascinate me, and I enjoyed […]
Double-Dare: “What Would Happen If I . . . ?”
We all have wondered, What would happen if I dreamt up ideas filled with spontaneity, the unknown, a bit of risk, a thrill—and actually pursued that dream? How many of us let loose long enough to find out what would happen?
Daring Greatly in a Declining Culture
An Interview with David and Jason Benham
What makes cowards run and champions rise? How is it that some people can face their fears, die to their dreams, and still have an abundant, fulfilling life? The book of Daniel answers these questions. David and Jason Benham know exactly what it’s like to live courageously—like Daniel. Their message leads us all down that path. […]
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What’s Urgent versus What’s Important
Why the best shortcut to healing is doing it right.
Sometimes life just hits us like a ton of bricks. In a recent blog post titled “Triumph or Torture: Where Are You Headed?” I wrote about the importance of keeping our bodies fit. Because we only get one body in this life, it’s pretty essential to pay attention to our physical health . . . […]
Triumph or Torture: Where Are You Headed?
You know you’re getting old when a portable massage table and standing desk replace killer shoes and cute clothes on your gift wish list. I’m there. When something falls to the floor, I don’t just pick it up quickly. I hunker down and hunt for anything that needs attention because getting to and from there is now […]
Timeless Reminders When the Going Gets Rough
(And what in the world was I thinking?)
I have a thing for power tools and making stuff. Who knew? I’ve made a desk and table with my son, and wainscoted the kids’ rooms . . . and most projects have gone, um, relatively well. Some have been total disasters, to be honest. I tend to overlook the details and skip a few […]
An Easier Method of Communication
How to Talk to Individuals with Autism
[guestpost]This is a guest post by my middle child, Austin.[ref]Adapted from Austin Dane’s blog, “How to Talk to Individuals with Autism,” posted September 2, 2016, https://www.theodysseyonline.com/siblings-with-autism. Copyright © 2016 by Austin Dane, 2016. Used by permission.[/ref] Austin is incredibly insightful, gifted, and hilarious; but his strongest quality is a tender heart for those who are […]
Reframing Anxiety: God’s Good Plan in How We’re Made
An Interview with Steve Fischer
Anxiety . . . a word we often label negatively. We tend to put a “fear-based” frame around anxiety, forgetting to consider that anxiety may have a positive purpose. As God made us, anxiety is an alarm system that awakens us to action in the here and now. However, today anxiety is focused on past […]
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Trash or Treasure
It’s Time to Tackle the Truth
The weathered wooden trellises were trashed . . . or so they thought. I found some timeworn trellises stacked in a pile my folks planned to toss out. I have a thing about refurbishing or renewing stuff that appears dumpy or dilapidated, and giving it new life. If it’s family stuff, all the better. Around […]
Cleavers, Christ, and Cutting Out Life’s Misadventures
It really was not what we had planned for a quiet Sunday afternoon on Father’s Day . . . but so it goes. Shortly before summer, my youngest son, Jon, got to pick out his very own dog . . . sort of. With all of his siblings now out of the house, Jon wanted companionship, […]