Mind

Last weekend I experienced a beautiful thing. Back story: whenever one of our husband’s goes out of town, my sisters and myself, along with my mom, plan a girl’s weekend at the temporarily single person’s home. This time we were able to squeeze in a fun 24-hour get-away. We talk, play games, eat, share what’s going on in our lives, help and support each other through our current challenges usually including a time of prayer. Occasionally, a “discussion” arises that is unexpected and takes us by surprise. This was one of those times. But what I witnessed was beautiful healthy conflict resolution that is still making me shake my head in awe. My mom and my sister and her family share a home … BOOM! In many families, this concept would not ever be entertained. A simple, “Ain’t no way…” would suffice. However, they have been making it work for

Several years ago, my younger sister walked through a devastating life change. Everything in her world was turned upside down. She now had to choose between searching out truth through the God she had known in her youth or allowing herself to crumble under the weight of the pain and loss. She chose truth! And in walking in that truth, she has blessed so many over the last decade with her poem writing and her speaking. Today I want to share a few of her poems with you that I believe may help you as you move through each day. It is possible you are currently living your own worst nightmare, as she was, and have no idea where to turn. Or it may be that you are struggling, like the majority of us are, with what in the world is going on around us and can we please just

I’m sure you, like me, many times find the pain and suffering of your friends and family to be overwhelming. My first instinct is to offer advice (which is many times simply my opinion) and my desire is to try to alleviate their pain. Neither of those are bad things, but are they the best things? What if all I’m called upon to do, and all they really need, is a listening ear? I just finished a book by Bob Beaudine called 2 Chairs. The premise is the importance and life-changing possibilities from meeting with Jesus daily, visualizing Him in the chair next to you. While I have been having a morning quiet time for the past 20+ years (Daily Time with My Best Friend), this book reminded me of the importance of not doing all the talking. But asking questions and then listening for His answers. As I’ve incorporated

As lives and schedules begin to return to “normal” over the next few months, I’ve heard from several who are asking, “Do we want to return to what we were doing before we were forced to slow down?” For many, the answer is a huge NO. But if we’re not intentional enough to stop and reflect and then create a plan, in a very short time, we will find ourselves back in the same rat race. So what lessons can we take from this recent mandatory quarantine as we move into the future? Lesson #1: Slowing Down is Not a Bad Thing Many times over the last few months, I found myself ever-so-grateful that this quarantine took place in 2020 and not 10 or 15 years ago when my children were at home and in the middle of school and every kind of activity. For me, life did not change

I LOVE my family!! And I know not everyone can say that. But for many, I suspect, you have decent relationships with your parents, siblings, adult children, but the busyness of their lives and yours makes it hard to connect consistently. I want to share some ideas of what we have done in our family to keep our relationships strong. I would love to hear your stories in the comments. Be Intentional This has to be at the core, bottom line, back bone of making this work. If you wait for someone else to plan a time or try to work it into the nooks and crannies of your lives, it simply won’t happen. We started a family Facebook page to help us plan and update everyone easily. Time with family has to be a priority and where you choose to invest your energy. If you had told me growing

Do you ever feel stuck? Not sure which direction to go or what to do next? Or maybe you’re in a season of fear and feel paralyzed? You can barely remember to brush your teeth let alone take the next step in front of you? We all find ourselves in that place sometimes. And I believe it can be most challenging when we are there because of outside forces that are beyond our control—like this 2020 Pandemic! I listen to a variety of podcasts when I go out on my walks, and one of my favorites is by Emily P. Freeman, author of the book, The Next Right Thing. Her podcast and book focus’ on decision fatigue and taking the next step. When I first discovered her, I was especially taken with just that phrase … “doing the next right thing.” I found my mind bouncing back to that idea