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May you be encouraged on your journey with Jesus.
All Shall Be Well
Today is my birthday. I've been alive in the world for 38 years. Birthdays are a time for celebration, but they can also be a time for reflection. After all, a lot can happen in the course of a year. Last night as I was folding laundry (because that's what 37 year old...
Seeking Safety
Yesterday, I had a blueberry picking date by myself. It felt like a me-date because, as a mother of four, there are few times that I am left by myself for more than an hour at a time. I brought my phone and a podcast to listen to, but instead of using my phone as a...
Self-Control: The Inner Boundary
I was never a bad kid. I didn't have that kind of reputation with friend or teachers, yet I received my fair share of punishments and detentions. Why? Because of a little talking problem I had. I talked to my friends during class. I talked to the teacher without...
Discomfort: An Agent of Change
I spent last week at the beach. Vacation is always a welcome escape. I made no meals. I sat in the sun. I spent time with family. It was a good week. The only problem with vacation is that it always comes to an end. The day after we returned, I found myself in a...
Body Freedom
An ugly, pink scar graces the top of my left shoulder. It's really unfortunate, because I used to enjoy wearing sleeveless shirts in the summer. After my left shoulder became scarred, I mostly gave them up. Now, rather than looking attractive and confident in a...
Craving Connection
Lonely. It's a sad word. Loneliness isn't the same as solitude, which entails a willingness to be alone. No, lonely means being alone against one's wishes. It can feel needy, pathetic, and vulnerable. Loneliness can surface anytime, when one is actually alone, or in a...
That’s Not What I Wanted
It seems I was always meant to be a boy mom. As a little girl, I didn't enjoy playing with dolls. You would more likely have found me making mud pies, floating boats through overflowing ditches, or catching bugs and small, unsuspecting animals. Even as an adult, I...
Wandering Thoughts and Focused Attention
Where do your thoughts wander? It's been a long day at work, and you are relieved to be in the car driving home. As you pull into the driveway and park your car, you realize that you have no recollection of the last 15 minutes of your commute. Were you driving on...
Life Trapped in the Cave of Social Distancing
I'll be honest: at the beginning of social distancing I did not feel fear; instead I felt relief. You see, between shuttling two of my children back and forth to school, homeschooling the other two, and taking them to appointments, speech therapy, homeschool co-op,...
Pencils and Possibilities
Pause: My son sat on the sofa, working on his school assignments. We are homebound this month, due to social distancing and the coronavirus, yet his spirits were high this morning while doing his math homework. Suddenly, he turned to me and exclaimed: "Mom, do you...
Worry: Friend or Foe?
Can worry ever be helpful? My guess is that your instinctive response is to roll your eyes and say no. To be honest, worry has a pretty bad reputation, and for good reason. Worry often looks like endless negative ruminations. It can look like catastrophizing the...
Rupture and Repair
I will never forget that moment. My two year old son stared at me, stricken. I don't remember the events that led up to the moment, although I'm sure it had something to do with being an exhausted mom of two small boys. There was probably a meltdown or two involved....