Why You Must Have the Guts to Grieve
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 […]
What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up
Some days are just incredibly tough. We all hit seasons where the daily demands don’t let up; hard decisions lead to relational conflict and we do our best to hang on. There’s always another bill in the mail, the “to-do” list is never done, the house needs cleaning, the laundry needs folding, and the phone […]
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 […]
Words to Live By
I saw it a bazillion times last year . . . a beautiful calendar that hung on our kitchen wall for 365 days. It looked so inspiring on the store shelf. I intended to read its encouraging words throughout the year. Then life happened. I got too busy to stop and consider the thought-provoking words […]
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 […]
A Chance to Start Over This Year
Facing the music and focusing on how something fresh can change your life
One of the most encouraging things about a new year is the word new. It means “unfamiliar . . . made or become fresh . . . different from one of the same category that has existed previously,” says Webster. Simply put, it’s a place to begin anew. Starting over requires knowing where you are. […]
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 […]