“For better or worse” . . . “in sickness and health” . . . “’til death do us part” . . . “I DO.” The marriage vows are easy when life is beautiful. It certainly was for the young, vibrant model and her loving, loyal husband preparing to practice law after the bar exam. However, […]
Continue readingMore TagCategory: Grief/Encouragement
Change: The Road to Healing with Hope
Today I chose to take another route home after taking my son to school. Typically, I race straight home or to the office, directly to my desk and dive in to work. Today was different. I needed space—which is getting harder to come by in our town. I realized this as I navigated my way […]
From Survival to Spectacular—Your Story Isn’t Finished
Based on the unpredictable and seemingly impossible commands the Lord has given His people, I don’t think He would have won any ancient popularity contests. The first book of our Bible, Genesis, contains accounts that, if we didn’t have the whole story, could make God seem more like a sinister bully than a sovereign Savior. […]
Relational Guts: Plunging into Life and Love with Courage
The text read . . . “Hey, please give me a call back when you can. Love you!” My daughter isn’t a big texter. Something was up. I called immediately. Her voice sounded fragile—not the typical healthy, “busy-about-life” one I’m used to. I listened as she began with a truth I’ve taught my kids over the years: […]
How to Solve Sleepless Nights and Unexpected Sorrows
So what’s been keeping you up at night? Sleepless nights . . . we’ve all been there: lying awake for hours, tossing and turning, tangled in our sheets as our thoughts and emotions twist up into tight knots. We try to self-medicate, but . . . Drinking Eating Smoking Whatever-ing Doesn’t keep us from restless […]
A Checklist for Living Well
There’s a great NPR podcast titled How I Built This. I love it! It’s about people who have created, invented, or started movements that have become highly successful. I’ve listened to interviews with the founders of Whole Foods, Spanx (Every woman say AMEN!), Lyft, Crate and Barrel, and Kate Spade, to name a few. Every […]
How to Stop Your World from Spinning out of Control
Sabbatical. It sounded so holy . . . but it was beyond essential. This past winter, more than a few folks “strongly suggested” I take some time off work to rest, refresh . . . and breathe. I have been at my current job for 10 years but can count on one hand the number […]
Strategic Warfare: How to Thrive on the Battleground
Okay, it’s not a secret in my house, so I might as well share it with you: I hate almost all bugs. God has a purpose for all living things . . . I know that. However, I find it quite rude when vermin sneak around my house, bite or sting at will, and then […]
An Agent of Change in a Suffering World
Ten minutes and her life was forever changed. It was a beautiful morning as my friend headed out the door for work. She called her husband to wish him a good day as she walked to her car. During the phone call, she heard a sound behind her and looked to see what it was. […]
Learning to Wait in the Waiting Room
There is a place I used to call my second home: the waiting room. I’ll never forget the hours I spent with my special-needs son in waiting rooms—rooms with tattered magazines, crying children, and tired-looking people who were staring at smudged, blandly painted walls. If there were windows, I watched the outside world whirl by—beautiful […]
What Does “Trusting God” Mean?
Trust is not one of my strong suits. I could try to blame my struggle on not knowing enough trustworthy people, but I know the problem is rooted in me . . . in my desire to protect myself and in my fear of getting hurt or let down. I know that not trusting others […]
Captive Audience
If you could travel anywhere in the world, with anyone you love, without any financial worry, where would you go? Perhaps a cozy cabin in Canada’s Banff National Park or a reprieve in one of England’s rustic cottages? Or imagine roving around Rome’s ancient ruins, adventuring on an African safari, or traveling through Brazil’s rainforests […]