From Pain to Passion—Taking the First Step
The last place I wanted to be was at church. My eyes were swollen almost shut from crying. My body ached from a physically demanding weekend: helping our son move to an apartment nearby, cleaning the house with one more empty room, and yard work that had to get done before gallons of rainfall gushed […]
Making Sense of Suffering
The verse jumped off the page when I first read it. Written by the wisest person who ever lived, Solomon penned his life journal in the book titled Ecclesiastes. To be honest, I hadn’t spent much time in Ecclesiastes, probably because I would get stuck in the two books before it—Psalms and Proverbs—which mix swaying […]
Hope and a Place to Hide During the Hard Times
Ever feel like you are the only one who struggles with certain things? I was speaking at a conference recently and everyone looked great. While I felt nervous, worried, and anxious, everyone else appeared to be moving along in life without a worry in the world. That said, most of us assume no one else […]
How to Choose Rest in a Rushed World
Ever had one of those days or weeks where unexpected stuff pops up and drains the life out of you? Like the game “whack a mole,” just as you knock out one issue another shoots up—WHACK! then another—WHACK, SLAM! . . . then another—WHACK, SLAM, SCREAM! I had one of those weeks not long ago. […]
You Did It!
I was hesitant to ask you for a favor. I know you have a lot on your plate, so for me to ask you to do one more thing was a big ask. Deep down I knew it would be helpful but, boy, I didn’t imagine ALL we would get from it. A big group […]
This Is for You
I’m sure sometimes you just roll your eyes. The things you read, see, and hear can be so trivial and unhelpful at times. If only people knew what you are REALLY going through. Well, I REALLY DO want to know. I want to know what YOU want to know, so I can serve you better. […]
How to Crush the Killer Stalking Your Soul
I walked into my friend’s office feeling completely defeated. Only a few people in my life know how much I wrestle with trauma. For me, trauma is like an invisible terrorist, inflicting nightmares and flashbacks and prompting painful and fearful emotions to surface in the most unexpected ways. Trauma is an ever-moving, invisible target. The […]
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 […]