I didn’t realize how upset I was until I stepped out of the house and made my way to the car. My mind was swirling with thoughts – a mix of anger, disappointment and shame: I’m a failure. I’m never going to be a good enough mom or wife. It’s not safe to be...
One day, when I was a young mom, I had a conversation with an older woman about how she seemed so at peace with herself. She said to me, “I’ve reached the age when I’m just not willing to lie to myself anymore.” I remember thinking “That sounds amazing! I wonder what...
We are really good at running fast-paced lives. We fill our calendars with commitments and obligations. We can do it all. Meet all the deadlines, show up for all the people in our lives. We are really good at saying “yes”. In fact, “yes” is highly...
Don’t hug a cactus! That should be lesson #1 from the desert. Lesson #2 would be to always carry enough water. Those two lessons can also hold true when it comes to dealing with difficult, or “prickly”, people. The truth is while many people will never see a...
Imagine setting out for a hike on a beautiful day. You have all the necessities for nourishment and survival - snacks, water, pocket knife, a first aid kit, flashlight, cell phone, etc. But —JUST IN CASE— you also decided to pack your favorite magazines,...
Sitting on my couch with a warm cup of coffee in my hand, no makeup, sloppy ponytail (not even a trendy messy bun), fluffy dog on my lap and still in my pajamas. This is how I did church for over a year. After ten years of serving as a pastor at our church and...
I love gardening. I love helping bring something to life, nurturing it, and watching it flourish. I am not particularly great at gardening though. Any improvement I’ve had has come through the school of hard knocks: a plant I put in the wrong soil, a plant placed in...
Happy New Year!! It is hard to believe that, once again, we are at that point where many of us are making resolutions for eating better, getting healthy, exercising more and becoming better human beings. There is nothing wrong with setting goals. And if you are...
What a couple years we have been through! A global pandemic, social and political unrest; economic as well as personal crises are enough to cause a world wide state of weariness. We get that sinking feeling. You know, the sensation of launching down a steep drop...