During the last few weeks, memories from two specific seasons have rented rooms in my brain. It’s been one year since my pancreas got really angry and I spent a few days in the hospital trying to figure out what ticked it off. This memory has decorated its rented room with posters that say, “If only I had …” When I walk through that room, I get frustrated with myself. The other rented room in my brain looks different. The room is smaller, and handwritten notes are placed around it. The renter is the memory bank of the 7-year season Continue Reading
Make Room for the Good
Along with replacing the tank tops in our closet with sweatshirts and flannels, the Fall season invites us to cleanse, purge, start again, and “finish the year strong!” (I’m a little over the whole “finish the year strong” thing. I’m just focusing on finishing today strong. Because my “strong” needs a nap.) A change of season does seem to signal a time to reflect and consider what the next few months could look like though. A time to start again. And that can be healthy. But it’s easy to mess this up. How? We believe that Continue Reading
Your Whatever Matters
Whatever. It’s a word that sometimes comes from our mouth when we are … Tired of the conversation. Reluctant to discuss the conflict. Walking away. Oh my. I can see me in some of those whatever moments! Whatever usually comes out as a disappointed whisper when I’m walking away from the person who just doesn’t understand that what I’m saying is right and he is most definitely not right and I’m too tired to argue and the conversation just doesn’t seem worth the effort. My back is turned, and my hand is waving away the moment. Continue Reading
What We Can Do
There is something I can do. The shootings. Grieving families. Unimaginable tragedy. Uvalde, TX. Buffalo, NY. Laguna Woods, CA. The list continues. How can this happen? The answers just don’t come. It would be easy to turn off our TVs, shut out the news, and hope it doesn’t happen again in our community. And for some, it’s best to step away from the horror and the tragedy. We each have our own health boundaries. But, for most of us, we can’t ignore the reality. We shouldn’t. We can do something. And we must. We Continue Reading
Same God, New Season
These truths are swirling through my brain today … God is a God of love. He hangs the stars. Instructs the sun to rise. Always keeps His promises. God is faithful. When I allow these reminders to frame my day, life feels better. Hope returns. Worries can’t compete and they move out. Do you know what I mean? Perhaps your feelings about life and this new spring/summer season are similar to mine? My heart and my muscles and my brain are ready for a pause. They need time to breathe. Rest. They are starved for Continue Reading
Have You Ever Had One of Those Days?
It was a bad day. I mean, a really bad day. My friend, David…the one in the Bible who wrote the Psalms…was having a day that makes me feel anxious just reading about it. Here’s how he described it in his 69th Psalm: …the waters have come up to my neck… …I sink in the miry depths where there is no foothold… …the floods engulf me… …I am worn out calling for help… …My eyes fail… And then. The biggie. …Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head. You’ve got to be kidding me! I break out in a sweat and Continue Reading
Speak Truth to Yourself
Ok. Let's review. (She says to herself first.) Here are phrases that do not show up in The Good Book; words that are never said by God, The Great Promise Keeper... You've got a big load of stuff to do today. Good luck with that. Sure wish today was over. It just keeps getting worse. You always mess up. Can't you just get your act together? You've been struggling with that situation for years. It's not going to change. It's never going to end, you know. Bad stuff happens. Never. Said. God does not walk around wringing his Continue Reading
Shove Discouragement Back in its Box
Hey, hi. There’s encouragement here for YOU today. Scoot your chair up. Slip on your reading glasses. Mute the TV. I don’t want you to miss this. Discouragement can show up at the most inopportune times, can’t it? Not that there’s a good time, but has this happened to you? Life seems to be humming along, no crisis in sight, and then like a Jack-in-the-box, a frustration, lie, or sad memory jumps out in front of you. It stares right at you with its scary, dark red smile, bobbing and weaving with its arms stretched out, inviting you to Continue Reading
Are You a Wind Whipped Worrier?
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, He has the patience of a saint. I was thinking about God today, and how patient He is with me, and I used that phrase to describe Him in my mind. But then I thought, well, that doesn’t make any sense. Because He IS a saint. Or, He’s the Saint of All The Saints. But maybe I shouldn’t call Him that because it takes away His divine nature. And then I started worrying that I was really getting my doctrine all mixed up and I was losing track of where I was going with that thought process, so I just went back to Continue Reading
Be the Reason
The doctor called it transient global amnesia. I called it the day I lost a day. It’s been almost six years since amnesia briefly swept through my brain. (It occurred just after exercising at the YMCA, and I truly believe it was God’s way of telling me never to do another burpee.) I wrote a short post about it a few years ago, and I wrote a longer, more thoughtful reflection on it in Getting My Ducks in a Row and Other Stories of Faith. The life-changing take-away for me? Life is good and life is short. Let’s not miss a moment of Continue Reading
The Ball’s in Your Court
I am not an athlete. As much as I would love to have the long legs, expansive arm reach, or muscle endurance that describes many who are proficient in a form of physical exercise, I am short with jiggly thighs and limited upper body strength. But I’ve always loved sports. Watching them. From the benches. Or from the cheerleading sideline. Especially from the cheerleading sideline. (Of course, I’m going back to the days when cheerleaders did not need to do the splits or stand on one leg in the palm of someone’s hand six feet up in the Continue Reading
Permission to Perch
“Oh! The places you’ll go! You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.” * Words like that should be printed in multiple colors and fancy fonts with lots of loops, right? Dr. Seuss certainly knew how to use phrases to invite and encourage us to move forward. He was writing prompts for entering the new year that are more stimulating than most memes! (As a side note, his frequent use of exclamation points is one of the reasons he’s a favorite of mine.) And … Some of us may Continue Reading
It’s a Great Day for a Fresh Start
Girlfriend. Let’s talk. Your life? It’s a big deal. Your age? Yes, the numbers are moving up. That tiny voice somewhere in the back of your head that’s telling you it might be too late? Stop listening to it. It’s never too late to live a rich and full and joy-filled life. We can choose how we want to live, right? Feeling tired and frumpy and settling in there because it’s comfortable usually takes us to the pity party. (Don’t go there. It’s not much fun. The food will give you a stomach ache, the company is boring, there aren’t Continue Reading
Getting My Ducks in a Row … Or Not
Good grief. If I had a milk chocolate-covered caramel for every time I’ve tried to get my act together … well, I’d be enjoying a lavish consumption of chocolate. And my stomach would be upset. And my act would not be together. We work hard at it though, right? Trying to find some level of order and calm in the chaos and overwhelm by fixing, directing, and controlling. Intensely trying to set the perfect habits that will change our lives. Setting up work and home and people systems so everything and everyone functions like clockwork. Continue Reading
Set the Temperature
You don’t need anyone to tell you that it’s a bit chilly across our country these days, right? The ice, the snow, and the wind chill are so “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Up here in tundra land (AKA Minnesota), it’s … well, it’s ooftah. Thinking about warmth (or the lack of it) and the temperature in our homes reminds me about living with mom. (Truth be told, there are a whole bunch of moments that remind me of mom.) I wrote this little note a couple years ago and decided to share it again this week. It’s reminding me to stop and ask Continue Reading
The Unmet Expectation Creep
I really try and focus on JOY and HOPE. Because life is good, and God is faithful. But sometimes, I get swallowed up in the creep. The creep of unmet expectations. They showed up with great fanfare about a month ago. Ugh. Maybe you can relate to moments like this? … We have plans, but someone else changes them. (Our plan is to get home by a certain time, but someone else is late, delayed, or changes their plans.) Our hopes are high and then they hit the ground hard. (Thanksgiving family get-togethers? Gathering with friends Continue Reading
My New Book is Available!
Hello, friend! This is such an exciting day … “Getting My Ducks in a Row and Other Stories of Faith” is hot off the press and available to you! My heart is sending up balloons and confetti and my stomach is doing a lot of flip flops which is stirring up all the butterflies, because, you know, it’s a little scary putting your words out into the world. But I gotta’ tell you … I’m really excited about this book. You will laugh, nod your head as you recognize yourself in some of my life moments, and you will experience a refreshing Continue Reading
Our Lifejacket and Anchor
Our weekend sailing trip started with blue skies, white fluffy clouds, and a whole lot of sunshine. Nothing signaled that a storm was just around the bend. Until it hit. I thought the thick, low-hanging, midnight-black clouds would reach down and wrap us in darkness. The wind tipped our little sailboat precariously onto its side. The icy rain came at us sideways; it felt like shards of glass on our faces. Once we were able to get the sails down, our captain yelled only one command: “Just hang on!” You bet we did. I’ve never been Continue Reading
Write a Fabulous Ending
Wouldn’t it be cool if we each had a ghost writer writing our life story? If all we had to do was wake up and follow the script that was written for us? It would be an ideal day script filled with only happy scenes that tell us exactly what to do, where to go, what to wear, how to act, what to eat, who to see… you get the picture, right? But, nope. We write our own stories. We are the playwright, producer, stagehand, director, costume designer, and lead character in the story we write each day. (I think “costume designer” is the role Continue Reading
Never Too Late
Have you had that kind of moment when your brain and your heart and your soul all join together to get your attention shouting “Hey, there, Buttercup! Let’s get back on track, shall we?” Yeah. Me too. Your tension-fused emotions are driving your actions and they are making everyone around you – and you – feel like they’ve entered the Twilight Zone. Your need for comfort food has hit new proportions. The couch has become a permanent home and TV reruns are your best friends. Scrolling Facebook and Instagram are stealing precious Continue Reading
I See You
We were celebrating my nephew’s birthday. Danny was turning two. His afternoon was filled with little kids’ birthday party favorites -- cake, presents, streamers, lots of noise – attention. I realized I hadn’t seen his older brother around, so I went looking for 4-year old David. I found him sitting on the top step of the stairway, removed from the celebration, crying his little heart out. Through deep staccato sobs and a snotty nose, David explained, “It’s hard for someone like me when it’s not my birthday.” Bless him. That was over Continue Reading
When I Can’t Get it Together
If I had to choose favorite chapters from the books I’ve written, this would be one of them. It’s from “This is Livin’! Learning to Move from Messy Moments to Happy Places.” And since we’re all trying to find a new rhythm and our equilibrium, it seems so timely. Enjoy! Some refer to the occurrence as a moment of amazement that defies talent. I refer to it as the time when my sister Lori was so tired of practicing that her brain froze up. The event was the annual piano recital. Here’s a little set-up to the important performance Continue Reading
Today I Will
I’m guessing we’re all feeling a little “off” these days, right? On one hand, we want information about what’s going on with everything - the virus, the economy, our jobs, our neighborhoods, etc. And on the other hand, we just want the news to stop. It’s too much. Sigh. Thinking about what’s on my mind and heart to share here feels the same way, knowing we are all moving through this time so differently. Some of us are very afraid and anxious. There’s a deep seriousness in our souls, with no room for jokes or laughter. The Continue Reading
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