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How to Cultivate Thankfulness
This November you may find yourself in a place that isn’t familiar. Maybe you are struggling or in pain. Perhaps you are grieving or fighting a disease or trial unbeknownst to others. It might feel hard to be thankful. However, I would challenge you to redirect your thoughts for just a moment. As you reflect on your life, as I often do mine at this time of year, it can be easy to get stuck. We may focus on what we haven’t accomplished yet, what we don’t have, or our problems, pain and misfortune. We forget to reflect on God’s goodness, experiencing a grateful heart. But you might be…
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Teaching our Children to Listen to God
Do you ever race ahead to do something without thinking things through first? Maybe you say something without thinking or even text it? Or perhaps you don’t read the instructions well before you plow ahead with the assignment. I tend to do that. In my excitement, I often jump into something without thinking or reading the instructions fully. The problem with that is I miss all the details. I might even go out of the parameters and that leads to mistakes or unnecessary work and confusion. Why is it so hard to slow down? And have you ever found that this type of behavior spills over into your quiet…
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To Trick-or-Treat?
Now I may ruffle some feathers here but I am going to say that I believe in Jesus and yet….yet…my children would trick-or-treat. In fact, we had a ton of fun and even hosted big “Halloween/Fall” parties as my kids grew older. We would do scavenger hunts, bob for apples, have costume contests and lots and lots of cool treats and things to eat. We carved pumpkins and made popcorn balls and even watched old scary movies with Bud Abbot and Lou Costello. To me it made more sense to ground my children in the truth and then enjoy the good things about fall, which in their little minds included…
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Surviving the Empty Nest
Okay, I am going to be real for a hot minute. I miss my kids. I am a divorced, single, empty nester whose children live scattered across three states. Whew that was a mouthful. At times I come home and I feel lonely. Just me and the two dogs. I have a church home, great friends, my parents, sister, nieces and nephews close by. I have a job that has ministry at its very roots. I have purpose, passion and yet… yet… I still feel sad and even fractured at times. I have given this a lot of thought. I have talked to quite a few friends in the same…
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My Child is Anxious about Going Back To School
It was the first day of kindergarten and my little one was already dealing with a lot of separation anxiety due to a fairly recent trauma. We were in counseling to deal with it and things were going well, but any new change caused stress…and this was a big one. Kindergarten meant he wouldn’t be with me and despite me telling him how great it was going to be, he was not wanting to go. Looking back almost 16 years, I suppose I could have homeschooled and I considered it. However, on the advice of counselors, and what we felt was best for our child, we decided on a small,…
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Waiting
What do you think of when you hear the word, wait? Is it to stay where you are? Is it a delay of action, or delay in general? To wait is to hold on, hold back, hold up, hold one’s horses, halt, standby, and sit tight. To wait is to stay where one is, or is to delay action until a later time–until something else happens. Waiting can be exciting and isn’t always bad. For example, you feel excited when you are waiting for an amusement park ride, or to see someone special. It has been said, that waiting makes the heart grow fonder. But, it has also…
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The Faith of a Child
Recently I had the privilege of going to Kansas to visit my oldest son and his wife. My youngest son and I drove there together–giving me uninterrupted mom time for days with my boys and daughter-in-law. I was thrilled beyond measure. Just getting to spend time visiting, enjoying the quiet of the country, and the laughter and sweetness of family…was so relaxing and refreshing to my heart. While we were there one of my son’s best friend’s stopped by with his little girl, Myla. She is just learning to talk– and is at that age where everything is new and exciting. My daughter-in-law and I spent the afternoon with…
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On-Line Dating
You swipe right and you swipe left. Or you send a heart, or a smiley face or wince at times (if you are honest) and hit the “X” or no button. It’s like fishing for Mr. or Mrs. Right or for some… Mr. or Mrs. Right now. Dating is difficult. But today on-line dating has drastically changed the way people meet, interact and develop relationships. In the past, you met someone face to face before you decided to date. Maybe it was through friends, work, school,or church. It was less stressful because you already knew the person through others. You already knew how they acted, their reputation and what they…
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LGBT lifestyle? Is it the worst sin of all?
All Sinners who are saved by grace can go to heaven, except those who are LGBT. (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual or Transgender) Has anyone said to you that your loved one will not go to heaven if they are in the LGBT lifestyle? I have heard this said over and over by well meaning, God-fearing Christians to other Christian parents struggling to make sense of their child’s homosexuality. But, in good conscience I cannot agree with that. If you are a Christian parent of a child in this lifestyle what are you supposed to do? Do you to shut your child out? Do you cut them out of your family and…
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Why does he lie?
It is the opposite of trust, breeding disconnect and discontent. It leaves you with that awful sting right in the center of your chest that knocks the breath out of you. It makes you question, and replay every word spoken between you and the other person searching for understanding, answers and validation. As its recipient, your self-worth is challenged, your emotions shift into overdrive, and if honest, you might even say, you feel a bit crazy—searching for answers and the reasons why someone, you care about and trust would willfully deceive you. Unfortunately, most of us have been lied to at one time or another or even told a “white…
