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Encouragement for every season of lifeI’m Not Brave
The message came in while I was sitting with the baby at 10:42 p.m., rocking quietly in the nursery. In the stillness of the night, my husband and two oldest children dozed peacefully while I savored the rare quiet. As I idly scrolled social media and checked emails,...
Goals for the Woman Who Hates Resolutions
I'm not big on New Year resolutions. I get discouraged and usually quit when I inevitably break them, but I do like to have goals. Goals feel more attainable to me -- like I can mess up, get up, try again, and still be in pursuit of my goal. I've been thinking a lot...
Messy Hospitality
"I'M SO ANGRY AT YOU"! My son's yell echoed up from the lower level and bounced around the walls of the living room. My husband and I shared a glance before he made a beeline for the stairs and the gaggle of kids downstairs while I glanced around the adults gathered...
Confident to Lead
Do you lack confidence to lead? It is normal to have feelings of inadequacy, concerns of competence, and worries about overcommitting when contemplating a leadership role. Fear is the basis for these concerns, feelings, and thoughts. Although you know that fear is...
Wooden Mary and the Eighty-Eight Gifts
Every year I say I’m going to get my Christmas shopping done before December. This year, for the first time, I actually bought a few gifts before Thanksgiving. But here it is almost Christmas, and I still sit at my computer, searching Amazon for the perfect gift for a...
Bye-Bye Bah Humbug
You remember Ebenezer Scrooge, the famous character in Charles Dicken's classic novel, "A Christmas Carol", right? His most famous line about celebrating Christmas was, "Bah, Humbug!" In other words, he was so busy working and making money that he simply didn't have...
Quick and Easy Crowd-Pleasing Appetizers
It’s almost Christmas, and New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. Perhaps there’s a party coming up to which you’ve been asked to bring an appetizer to share. It’s possible you are a bit worn out from all the fa la la, so what can you make that’s quick and easy...
Speaking Life
At a recent conference, a woman I admire stated that she had fasted from speaking negatively about anyone for several weeks. As she was talking, I felt Jesus nudge me and say, “How about your taking up this challenge?” This really terrified me. I often worry about...
The Great Coffee Charade
According to a recent Gallup poll, 64% of Americans drink coffee. That may be true for most of America, but in my little corner of the world I’d say it’s closer to 95%. Actually, I’m not sure I have ANY friends who don’t drink coffee. Personally, I love the whole...
Unexpected Christmas Savings
Back in the days when I was still a classroom teacher, my fellow educators used to give me a lot of good-natured ribbing over my choice to eat school lunch a couple days a week. My laughing rebuke reminded all present I was a college coach’s daughter and sometimes hot...
