Many of us, and maybe most of us, are often either trying to calm down or stay calm. We may even tell other people, like our friends or our children, “calm down, it’s going to be ok.” Yet, telling ourselves or others to calm down is easier said than done. Life just seems to have [...]
Jesus is the best gift ever. Period. That's what's on my mind this Christmas. I hope wherever you are in your relationship with God, this short post may be an encouragement to you. What's so great about Jesus? One of many important differences in Christianity and other world religions is that the birth of Jesus [...]
Who are your role models? Who naturally comes to mind when I ask you that question? You don’t have to name all your role models. Notice the few who come to mind the easiest. How did or do these people positively influence you? Why reflect on role models? Reflecting on your role models might encourage and [...]
Writing and creating are some of my top passions, or things I do for fun. I've been writing and creating since second grade. How about you? What do you love to do? What's fun about this activity that you love? I ask about fun because I think so many of us lose focus and stop [...]
2020 vision is both a medical term and a metaphor often used in fundraising types of campaigns for the last 20 or so years. After the 2020 we all had, I’m now thinking of “2020 vision” with more clarity than before. Only God knows What 2020 clearly confirmed anew for me is—only God knows the [...]
Hope feels a little harder to come by these days. The pandemic, politics, protests, and precarious circumstances have many of us reeling. It would be one thing if any one of these things was hitting us at once, but all of them, all at once, is emotionally draining. Hope to build on [...]
Gratitude and honesty during the coronavirus? Why not! I think often about how my children are watching me and how my choices now influence their choices now and later. That’s not instinctive awareness on my part; it’s how God has opened my eyes over time. Plus, it’s the wisdom wise parents have passed along. [...]
Wholeness is not something I, and maybe you, consciously think a lot about. Yet, we are quietly battling for wholeness daily. “Do I matter?” “Does this matter?” “No one really cares!” “If I don’t do it, who will?” These are but a few of the many questions and statements that suggest what it means to [...]
Tired enough to change. You’ve likely experienced that before. Perhaps, as a super simple example, you tired of the service at a store or restaurant. You decided, “that’s it! I’m not going back.” Or, perhaps, at a more serious level, a relationship was more hurtful than helpful. You tried to salvage the relationship, but it [...]
Worry can be really frustrating. We want to “let it go,” but somehow our worries seemingly won’t let us go. Thus, worry wins out, and in doing so, steadily becomes the boss of us rather than us being the boss of it. Take a worry break The world is full of great anxiety, or worry [...]