I spent some time at the ER this morning, getting tested and scanned because of a breathing issue I'm having (happy news is they ruled out all of the scary stuff and determined that it's just inflammation. <wipes brow with relief>).
Knowing how these visits can go, I brought a book along with me tha...
Have you ever heard of a people-pleasing fitness trainer? I haven't.
Fitness trainers are supposed to push you to do things you're not strong enough for. They expect you to be uncomfortable because that's where you'll grow.
They are basically getting paid to (temporarily) hurt people.
What if there wa...
I'm working on a project right now that's requiring a lot of faith. It's the heaviest lift (motherhood aside) I've done so far, which is also bringing some stunning miracles to witness. Because of the heavy lifting, sometimes my brain and my spirit get tired and I hear thoughts like, "Who do you thi...
Determination is the fuel that takes us from the unknown into possibility, and children seem to have it in concentrated form (the metaphorical equivalent of rocket fuel).
Watching our kids start with a desire then go for it with determination is absolutely inspiring. Whether it's learning to ride a ...
Hide and Seek is one of the favorite games at our house. The person who is "it" waits downstairs, counts to 30, and then yells at the top of their lungs, "READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" They then hunt the corners and closets around the house, looking for the rest of the family (everyone dreads being "i...
I've talked with several friends who each had incredibly difficult things happen this week (one of them, more than one). As a friend I want to be able to take at least some of the suffering so they don't have to carry it all. It's hard to know what to say or do to be able to support in a way that's ...
It's really easy to hide from your dreams. I've been practicing it for years. It looks really noble, like sticking with what you know for the stability of it, and it works. You get better and better at what you know, and you see great results. But there comes a point when you reach the edge of the s...
I was out walking this morning, when a huge collection of beautiful blooms stopped me in my tracks. They looked like pom poms! These softball-sized puffs of tiny white flowers looked almost like hydrangea, but the petals were a little bit different. They made me instantly smile when I saw them, so I...
"Can't" is a no-no word at our house. Not at the soap-in-your-mouth level, but it definitely gets called out. Why? Because I want our kids to grow up telling the truth.
Can't is--in most cases--simply not accurate on its own, and can really keep us stuck.
It might feel like you can't in this moment, ...
I had a funny moment last Sunday that our teen girls are having a FANTASTIC time teasing me about.
Normally, I wouldn't voluntarily broadcast an embarrassing story for public enjoyment, but I actually took a couple of powerful lessons from it later on. So here we go.
Our daughters and I were on our wa...
Our 6-year old daughter spent hours this weekend making "coloring books" (outline drawings on copy paper, bound by a row of staples) to sell door-to-door to neighbors and friends. She was so full of enthusiasm about it, I couldn't help but smile watching her.
She was working on some more books this ...
Today marks 20 years since Chris and I were married. I had a tender time last night, reflecting on the feelings I had the night before our wedding day. I wasn't jittery, because I know for sure Chris was the one for me, and that God was 100% on board with our union. But I do remember feeling apprehe...
