You see a small child sitting in the middle of the Target aisle. Hunched in a ball, his knees at his chin, his little fists are rubbing his teary eyes. He’s lost. You can feel how scared his heart is. You protectively kneel next to him, one arm on his shoulder, while someone sends a message out on the PA system. The woman in front of you in the check-out line looks like she hasn’t slept in days. You see her tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. The child sitting in her cart doesn’t stop crying. And then the clerk says she is Continue Reading
Mute the Bullies
I don’t care much for bullies. I don’t deal well with bullies. Bullies make me feel…Stupid. Wrong. Less-than. The bullies in my world don’t control the Maypole or the twirly-bird on the school playground. (And they never did. I don’t remember one bully in our little town of Climax, Minnesota.) The bullies that try and face me down want to control how I think about myself. If I let them, they will twist my heart like a pretzel and create little shakes in my stomach that make me feel like there’s an electric mixer on slow speed Continue Reading
Life is Too Short to Wait
So, this will be new. Different. My perspective has shifted. And it’s a game-changer for me. You know how sometimes that “Ah-ah!” moment strikes you like a lightning bolt slashing through thunderclouds? That deep insight or brilliant idea seems to smack you on the side of your head and you can hardly believe how smart you suddenly became. And then there are those “Ahhhh…of course…” moments that sneak up on you. That deep insight or brilliant idea slides right alongside you and you can only pause and wonder why it took you so long Continue Reading
Reset and Recalculate
My energy tank was on empty and I was coasting on fumes. “Frumpy” and “worn out” were self-describing words that I heard repeatedly in my mind. Muscles ached, and neither “fresh” nor “radiant” described my complexion. I felt ... old. And then I heard an interview on the radio that sent me into a “You’ve got to be kidding me!” moment. The young woman was talking about her high school experience — 15 years earlier. She coyly said, “That was when I was young! Let’s not talk about how many years ago that was!” And then she added a Continue Reading
Unclogging Drains and Hearts
The maintenance guy running the “snake” down mom’s kitchen sink to find the clog seemed to be having a very, very bad day … again. Bless his heart. It must be so uncomfortable living in such misery. Every single time we see him, he is upset. Angry. Blaming. His world is just … miserable. You’ve probably experienced the same consistently-bad-mood attitudes in your world. It shows up in so many ways, doesn’t it? The driver who cuts us off in the Fast Lane. The grumpy sales clerk. The co-worker who can’t find one good thing happening in Continue Reading
Getting Rid of the Novocaine
The dentist’s office has never been one of My Happy Places. I remember a friend telling me that she loved to have her teeth cleaned. I thought she was joking. Could not fathom that. It’s the poking and drilling that send my blood pressure through the top of my head. And of course, the sharp pricks when novocaine is involved. The dentist says, “You’ll feel a little sting,” and then the needle goes in. A little sting here, a little poke there, another sting…and my gum starts going numb. More pokes? The numbness spreads. This Continue Reading
Living in Two Worlds
Wanting desperately to be married. Wanting desperately not to be married. Desperate for a job. Desperate for a different job. Dreaming of a good night’s sleep. Dreaming of the ability to get out of bed. If we live in America, we have much to be thankful for. And…if we live in America, our individual needs and wants are unique. We live in two worlds. In one, we are (or should be) aware of the blessings showered on us every moment we take a breath. Our nights are not interrupted by the blinding lights of missiles hitting Continue Reading
Leave This Guest at Home
It’s the guest many of us bring to Thanksgiving dinner. The guest that can turn a beautiful get-together into frustrations and silent tears and sour attitudes. Expectations. Yup. Expectations. The guest we invite that all too often lets us down. We want the Norman Rockwell feast around the table with everyone using kind words. Everyone on time and helping. And our football team wins. But… The rolls get burned. The turkey is dry. Cousin Bobby sulks. Aunt Mary speaks harsh zingers. Half the group eats, burps, and heads Continue Reading
Deer Hunting in Mom’s Words
It’s the story that has made its way around emergency rooms, hospital rooms, recovery rooms, and pre-op rooms. Doctors and specialists and nurses and anesthesiologists throughout the Twin Cities United Health system have heard it. Mom’s doctor can tell it verbatim. It’s Mom's Deer Hunting Story. For whatever reason, whenever Mom has had a health issue that has required strong pain medicine or laughing gas, she starts telling anyone and everyone who will listen...The Deer Hunting Story. In those moments, she’s feeling very relaxed Continue Reading
Do What It Says
There are times when I read something in the Bible and it’s as if the statement begins, “Dear Gaye, please read this carefully; it is written for you.” I love it when the phrases that follow that introduction remind me about God’s love for me. About His mercy and grace. His faithfulness. My heart is encouraged, and I breathe easier. I have the habit of brushing that page in The Good Book with my hand as I smile and think about those blessed promises in the beautiful words. And… There are times when the statement that begins, “Dear Continue Reading
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 38
- Next Page »
