I didn’t get married in June. The sky threatened snow and the lace I wore on my long-sleeved wedding dress failed to block out the cold of an early January day. Looking back, there were a few things I would have done differently. With limited resources it wasn’t possible, but had I been able to…
“Lord, this is hard. Some days I feel like I have it all under control; life goes along swimmingly until the next thing comes along and I feel like I’m drowning. Just when I think it’s all under control, I realize that I have taken the reigns and am losing my grip. Arms open wide,…
It only took one second. One. My toddler was fussing to get out of the cart, and because I was close to being finished with our little shopping trip, I caved in to the pressure of a 3 year old and let her get out. Holding one little hand in mine while pushing the cart…
I long to be the one who makes you smile. From deep within me is a person who wants to be that somebody who makes every person feel like a somebody. I really do want to be an encourager, but far too often I leave a conversation thinking about what I wish I had said. …
We all have them. Those little things that drive us crazy. They flip our switch and spark a fire. The question is, if we want a happy marriage, how do we respond to those little idiosyncrasies that get under our skin? “If you let them, idiosyncrasies can take the joy out of marriage. Those peculiarities…
When I was young I hated peas. You can ask my Mom and she will tell you that she still remembers me shuffling peas around my plate for what seemed like an hour, trying to make it look like I had actually eaten some of the green balls of goo. While it never bothered me if…
It’s not complicated, really. These three things that seem to have so little in common bring back a flood of memories. Memories can take us back to places we sometimes need to revisit. Maybe it was a time that you learned a lesson the hard way, or maybe it was just an epiphany moment that…
It’s not that I don’t love a beautiful table. I do. Really I do. I have white dishes just so I can create a table setting for any season just by adding colorful napkins and a centerpiece. (I’m practical that way.) It is a joy for me to put together the pieces, adding a touch…
Another blog on prayer, you say? Truth is, it is an area that I continue to grow in. While I crave the written word, and have learned to converse easily with God, there are times when, if I’m honest, I struggle to know what to say. I know that prayer is a responsibility and a…
Yep. I’m a list maker. There’s just something about crossing something off a list that inspires me to do whatever it takes to completely eradicate whatever it is that’s ON that list! It’s kind of a love/hate relationship, isn’t it? 1. We love making a list. 2. We hate that the list is so long. 3. We love…
That song. You know–the one you can’t get it out of your head–and yet, you don’t really want to. “You’re a Good, Good Father, it’s Who You are…” “…And I’m loved by You, it’s who I am.” [Chris Tomlin] Being a parent is the hardest, most rewarding job on the planet, and the reality is–…
Oh yes you did. You rolled your eyes. And covered your face. And eagerly walked away from the one who carried you for nine months– and has carried you ever since. The hugs you once demanded are becoming rare, now that you think you’re “too old” for Mom’s affection. But time is slipping away, and…
Physical touch is a love language that I struggle with. I love to cuddle my grand-babies, but in the adulting world, I am not known to be a big “hugger”. You know the kind of person I’m talking about–that opens her arms and hugs every person with abandon? Yeah, I’m not her, but I have…
Despite the not-so-uncommon view that the hope of this world is found in politics or prosperity or possessions, one brush with eternity, and your perspective can change in a heartbeat. Hope has a name: His name is Jesus. When our youngest was in junior high, he started complaining about pain in the side of his…
