A Job Well Done
When I was 16 years old, I had my first job as an “orderly” at a hospital. I was entrusted with transporting patients to and from the radiology department. I’m not sure what the patients thought when they saw me coming with the wheelchair or stretcher, but thankfully, we all survived. It’s not something we talk about a lot but it is something that is a part of our daily lives: WORK. And today is the day we actually “celebrate the contributions of the workforce” - Labor Day. How we perceive our work varies from person to person. For
Feeling Stuck
My life hasn't turned out exactly like I imagined. I didn't go to my dream college. I scored lower on standardized tests than I would've liked. I tried to get into a graduate program twice before I was accepted into one. I wasn't accepted into my first choice of post-graduate training. I didn't get married at the age I expected to. There were times I wondered what I did wrong after I felt like I had done everything on point. Why aren't things lining up? If I've done A and B... shouldn't it result in C? Over the years, I
Prayer for Our Children
As the school year has started for many and will start soon for others, this school year feels like none other. Most of our children have been home since early March with what has seemed like a long and extended Spring Break. For us, the school year started 3 weeks ago at home, and beginning today, in person at school. It has been hard to not have some level of anxiety about whether I made the right decision to send them back to regular classroom learning. Ultimately I am reminded that I can do my part to be careful and
Our Parting Words…
I know we sounded like crazy parents, but we couldn’t help ourselves. In the days leading up to dropping our son off to college, my husband and I felt the need to squeeze in every last piece of advice we could think of... -Don’t do weed. People may try to convince you that it’s practically legal and there’s health benefits to it. Don’t do it!! -Read your Bible and pray every single day. Actually-lets make that twice a day! -Don’t microwave foil. -Don’t buy or accept Adderall or any other “focus medication” from anyone (apparently, this stuff has a high street
Show Kindness
Several years ago while I was chatting with someone, I remember the negative sentiments they expressed about someone new they had just met. Having had the opportunity to meet this new person myself and also, learn their story, I was jarred by those comments. It made me think about the times I was guilty of such myself until the Lord impressed upon my heart the significance of kindness. The reality is that you never know what someone is going through. Behind a smile may be immense pain and suffering. There is, however, a great value in showing kindness, even when
Pray
In addition to what is transpiring in our nation this week, I have just been heartbroken to learn what friends are encountering due to hatred and division. I can’t help but continually ask, Lord, what do we do? The word that has been impressed upon my heart repeatedly is PRAY. Sure, that may seem obvious. But have you noticed that in the hustle and bustle of life, we often see prayer as a box to check or even as the same few lines to repeat when we remember? The thing is that prayer is so much more and that’s what
Clearer Vision
In anticipation of 2020, there was a battle cry at many new year’s celebrations: VISION. Not only was it a new year, it was a new decade! Everyone had a good feeling about it. For me, the year started out great. Some new opportunities were opening up. My nephews’ basketball team won the state championship in their division. One nephew was making plans for graduation along with all of the senior activities around it. My husband and I would be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary and had also booked a long-awaited trip to the Holy Land. The year of VISION
The Dishwasher
I have a dishwasher... but I often forget to use it when I should. Let me explain. A sink full of dirty pots and pans is not a pleasant scene and can even affect my emotions. Recently, after a full day of work and an evening with the kids, I came into the kitchen and my eyes were drawn to the pile in the sink. It doesn't get like this very often, but it seemed like we managed to use every utensil and plate in the house within hours. Didn't I JUST wash the dishes? A sense of overwhelm came
Take Me Back
Do you sometimes feel like your relationship with the Lord has become stale? You still put your faith and trust in Him and you love Him, but something feels distant. I know that it’s easy to be in that place. I’ve been there many times. And sometimes it just takes some intentional time in His word and in His presence to reconnect again. I heard this song recently and I was reminded that I am not alone in my struggle in this area. I know that as much as my soul longs for that closeness, my heavenly Father longs for
The Making of You…
If there is anyone in this world who enjoys being at home, it’s me...but my son comes in for a very close second place. (If you look up homebody in the dictionary, you might even see our picture). So when it came time for him to decide on a college to attend, my husband and I were VERY surprised that he chose a school away from home. Yes, I encouraged him to explore ALL options (even schools away from home), but I didn’t actually think he would select one of those schools. Everything in me wanted to change my son’s
