Living to the Fullest
For most of my life, I have associated death with those who are elderly and have lived a long, full life. Lately, that association has lost its relevance as many that I know who have passed away were quite young. In my perspective, they seemed to have the rest of their lives ahead of them. Maybe like me, you watched the celebration of life earlier today for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. One thing, in particular, stood out to me from their lives along with those we have known personally who passed away recently. In what seems like was a brief
The Cost
Last week, I was at the checkout line at Target, and the planner I had picked up turned out to be 50% off! I would've done a happy dance out the exit doors, but I did one inside my head to avoid humiliating my daughter. Years ago, when I was in the salesman's office to purchase my first car, we got the deal of a lifetime. Granted, the vehicle had no luxury features, and the fanciest thing inside were automatic locks, but hey, I was thrilled to purchase it anyway! You know the feeling...the exhilaration and confidence you suddenly develop
Hope beyond this World..
When my youngest son was in elementary school, every August (like clockwork), my little guy would add an extra request to his nightly prayer. He would pray for the rapture to take place...soon! His six year old brain didn’t know much about theology. He couldn't tell you if he was a pre, post or mid tribulation guy...he just knew, summer was fun and school was hard. And you know what? I'm not an escapist, but I think my son was onto something. As Christians, WE HAVE HOPE beyond what this world can ever offer us. In John 16:33, Jesus tells his
The Name of Jesus
Have you ever been on cloud nine? Everything is going well, but then all of a sudden you can’t shake the somber feeling that comes over you? Nothing has changed, but you feel different and you don’t know why. It happens to me every so often. And sometimes it seems that there isn’t any way for that feeling to lift off of me. Recently when I was experiencing this, I felt like I needed to just say the name of Jesus. I decided to put on worship music that specifically called out the name of Jesus. And what happened after
Perfection and Pride
Dot my i’s. Cross my t’s. Line everything up in a row. Yep, that’s how I roll. But I’ve learned time and again how that is not always best. As you gasp from shock, let me explain why. What I’ve described is so much more than a personality type. The word that comes into play here is perfection. This is the state of being I strive for so that there are no errors, no cracks. The only thing is that life is not perfect. I know this. But I don’t like it … to the point where I become succumbed with
A Forced Rest
My husband and I ended 2019 with the flu. In 15 years of marriage, we have never both been sick simultaneously. I do not recommend it. It started on a Friday. We both felt ragged and run down but thought it was just the symptom of a long week with a holiday in the middle. Our schedules had been off. Our sleep had been off and we weren't eating or exercising like we normally do. We thought that we just needed a good nights sleep- and a salad or two. We woke up the next morning feeling worse. I left
Establish the Work of Our Hands
It usually happens about once every six months. This time it happened twice in one week. I got a text, I read an email, someone said something (or didn't say something)...and like an unexpected kick in the gut, I immediately felt disqualified and unworthy. “What am I even doing here? I am so unqualified!” I told myself. As quickly as the enemy began to taunt me and tell me that I didn’t belong, the Holy Spirit began to encourage me. ‘You’re right. You shouldn’t be in that position. I am the one who got you there...and since I’m the one
Worth the Wait
As I walked through the hallway at work, a couple of people seemed to sense me fast approaching. They stepped aside and said “You look like you are in a hurry so we’ll get out of your way”. I quickly but honestly said with a smile , “Oh, I always look like that!” I immediately realized how telling that statement really was. For me, if it’s going to happen, it might as well happen now. When I’m driving somewhere, even if I have plenty of time, I still weave through traffic to get there as quickly as possible. At the
Fear is a Liar
The past two weeks have been out of the norm for me. What began as the flu became pneumonia and ultimately, other unexpected challenges that left me weary and out of commission. Therefore, what began as thoughts of “It’s okay. This is just cold and flu season. It will pass quickly” evolved into unexpected thoughts: “You don’t even have the energy to teach your kids. What were you thinking when you decided to homeschool them? What if you aren’t equipping them properly for the future?” “Every family member is taking turns with the flu. As long as you lay in
Dominos
Dominos. Before you start imagining straight-outta -the-oven hot, cheesy goodness, I'm not talking about the pizza. I'm referring to the game...well, not the strategic correct way to play it, but the type in which you line all the tiles in a row and watch with satisfaction as each one topples the next one down. Yes, that one. My kids love to play it that way, and they find innovative ways to line them up. It's fun to watch. This week, it felt like we were playing Dominos...except this time, unfortunately, I'm not talking about the game OR the pizza. One
