This is my family’s first Father’s Day without my Dad. He died one week after Father’s Day 2017, from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia. It was heartbreaking to watch him go. Yet, we’re doing what you do when you grieve the loss of someone you love—we’re remembering and celebrating the treasure that he was [...]
Losing the Cape...the world needs you and me, not super heroes! Losing the Cape—isn’t that a great title?! That’s the name of Dan Stanford’s new book—Losing the Cape. It’s all about letting go of the misconception that, to make a difference in the world, you and I have to somehow be more than [...]
Carrots? Really, Shannon? Some of you may be wondering, how in the world am I possibly going to relate carrots to personal growth? Carrots work best when we do more than just look at them. Fair question. Here’s what I’m thinking… We know carrots can help improve our vision. Of course, simply looking [...]
Life is full of headlines of all kinds. I’m not even talking about world and national news—I’m talking about all the headlines we experience in our individual lives each year. Life's headlines change, but my lifeline, Jesus, never changes. I count on Him more and more! What were your headlines in 2017? What [...]
You are a gift from the Lord. When was the last time someone told you that? You are a gift from the Lord, no matter how old you are! Unfortunately, you may not hear that very often. And, so I want to send you a little reminder that you are, in fact, a [...]
Ever explore how full and gross a used vacuum bag can be? Ok, I know. Why would anybody really do that unless they accidentally vacuumed something they needed to retrieve? Or maybe someone’s doing this in a vacuum quality control lab somewhere for research purposes? Vacuum bags remind us--we need to lighten our load [...]
Expectations can sometimes lead to disappointment in our relationships. Good news though! We can do something about that! I don’t always have realistic expectations. Do you? I want to be in shape without exercise, and I want to buy more stuff for less money. I want to accomplish more stuff in less time, [...]
Our kids aren’t automatically thinking about survival at the pool; they just love the thrill of swimming, splashing, and doing cannonballs. They particularly enjoy the deep end of the pool. There, they jump in, get out, and jump in again. And, again and again. What's in your deep end? And, what's your survival plan? [...]
Trudging along in life is more purposeful than we sometimes realize! Trudging through the mud and the muck—that’s sometimes what life feels like, doesn’t it?! Wish and pray as you might, certain things just aren’t happening or lining up the way you want them to or as fast as you want them to, [...]
Being busy can lead to missed opportunities for encouraging others. I’m often busy...with family, work, ministry, volunteering, etc. You’re busy, so you know what I mean. We’re rushing from here to there, trying to keep up with our never-ending to-do lists. Being busy isn’t always bad, but it can sometimes cause problems. How [...]