What You Must Do to Live Fearlessly
My husband’s work hours have been crazy due to the recent natural disasters. He was called into work every Sunday in October. I had just returned from a speaking engagement. I had yet to unpack . . . I was tired. Church is often a struggle for me. It’s tragically amazing how creative my excuses […]
The Priceless Value of Shattered Things
It’s confession time: I have an addiction. It started years ago. Short on cash but high on creativity, secondhand stores and antique shops became my go-to spots for getting stuff. I figured someone’s trash could become my treasure, with the help of some power tools, paint, and my sewing machine. (Thanks to Pinterest and DIY […]
Fearless Friendships: What You Must Remember
The offer was terrifying, but I couldn’t figure out why. My long-time friend told me years ago that I should meet her sister. Apparently, her sister and I have incredibly similar mannerisms and an outrageous sense of humor. On many occasions my friend has said she thinks her sister and I may have been separated […]
Colossal Walls We Must Conquer with Uncompromising Courage
We were going 80 miles an hour when I hit the wall. That collision shattered the left side of my face. Four surgeries and four months later, getting behind the wheel had a whole new meaning. When we think of walls, most of us think of The Great Wall of China or walled cities of […]
The Ultimate Game of Thrones
Epic. Unforgettable. Remarkable. It’s a writer’s dream to craft work so powerful it moves the human spirit. In the world of fiction and fantasy, George R. R. Martin has done that with his novel series, originally titled A Song of Ice and Fire. Producers David Benioff and D. B. Weiss created from Martin’s work the […]
Where to Find Comfort When Disaster Strikes
Harvey. It hasn’t been a common name during my lifetime. Until now. Most of the country will remember the name Harvey and will relate it to one of our nation’s largest natural disasters. News outlets and social media run loops of countless scenes of devastation and loss. Homes filled with wonderful memories have been ripped […]
What to Remember When Your “Not-Best” Self Shows Up
I am not my best self in the morning. Sadly, this “not-best” version of myself must still carpool during morning rush hour traffic—a setup for the perfect storm. I lugged my “not-best” self into the car and noticed my son Jon’s anxiety was high. Anxiety is one of his most difficult challenges. He is rarely […]
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 […]
Meaningful Memorials
[guestpost]Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.[/guestpost] The Lincoln Memorial. The Vietnam Memorial . . . Memorials are places provided for us to stand and be quiet, to reflect, […]