The Last Big Gift
Who loves presents? I do! What’s not to love? Pretty packages full of surprises. Excitement building with each one as we tear wrapping paper and rip boxes with anticipation. Will we get what we really wanted? Manners go out the 
Broken Light Bulbs
Have you ever turned on a light switch and had one of the light bulbs blow? If it’s in a room that you’ve been in before, you notice right away that it’s darker. It’s not as light as it should
Giving and Forgiving
What is better––to give or to forgive? I started thinking about this yesterday, and I don’t see an easy answer. Initially, I thought my answer would be “to give”. There are a lot of sayings about how good it is
Favorite Christmas Cards
How many Christmas cards do you send each year? Hallmark Corporation estimates that Americans will send approximately 1.5 billion Christmas cards this year. That’s a lot of cards! And it’s 10 times more cards than the next most popular card-giving
What’s Up w/the Partridge & Pear Tree?
What’s your favorite Christmas carol? It’s hard for me to pick just one. I grew up in a family that sang in the choir and went caroling through the neighborhood with a group each year, so I love Christmas music.
Girl Behind the Mask
Do you ever listen to any of those retro shows that play hair band music from the 80’s? They’re comical. I have to admit, I do love the music. But the hairdos and outfits crack me up. It’s never good
A Room Full of Secrets
Have you ever walked into a room full of people knowing you didn’t want to be there? Maybe it was a work conference and you longed to be back home with your family. Maybe people were talking about things you
3 Truths About Pain
What’s the worst thing about pain? For me, simply, it hurts. Whether it’s the emotional pain of a broken heart or lost hope, or the physical pain of a broken bone or healing wound, pain hurts. It can be intense.
Top 10 Reasons to Smile
How often do you smile? When things are going well, most of us find that smiling and laughing come naturally. But when we’re tired, stressed or just not happy,smiles can be few and far between. We don’t think about smiling.
Yes You Can!
What is something you want to do, but you’re just not sure you can? I would venture to say that we all have at least one thing. It could be related to testing our limits. Like skydiving, bungee jumping, or
Front Row Parking and Other Needs
What do you need today? If someone were to ask me, I’d probably say more time, more money, or less stress. Not really things you can put on a Christmas list. So if they pressed me and said, “Today, specifically
Where Are You When I Need You?
Why is it that when we need someone the most, they seem to disappear? Is it because we need more than they can give? Is it because we need more than we communicate, and they don’t pick up on the
Who Are You Following?
Who do you follow? The truth is that on any given day, we follow a lot of people. We follow friends on Facebook. We follow celebrities on Twitter. We follow fast cars in the fast lane going to work, and
Do We Limit God?
Typically I start each blog by asking a question. But if I start with today’s question, “Do we limit God?”, then today’s blog would go something like this: Do we limit God? Yes. May I pray? And that would be
Fabulous or Foolish?
Has anyone ever told you you’re crazy? If you’re like me, your family and friends may not use those exact words, but their shocked reactions tell it like it is. “You’re crazy!” It can be an honor really. We’re daring.
One Choice That Leads To Hope
Have you ever felt like something was hopeless? Maybe it was an issue with your family, and you knew the harsh words wouldn’t be forgotten. Maybe it was a situation at work that had no good possible outcome. Maybe it
Be Careful What You Ask For
Do you make a list of things you’d like for Christmas so that family and friends can shop appropriately? It’s that time of year again, and making a list is a good idea. Especially if your family doesn’t appreciate your
A Different Kind of Thanksgiving
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory? Maybe it’s a Thanksgiving with your family when everyone was together, before people moved away or passed away. Maybe it’s the traditions of turkey trots or touch football games or wearing pajamas until noon or
Help v. Hinder: 3 Ways to Equip Others
Have you ever had someone try to help you and they ended up making things worse? Or have you ever wanted to help someone else but no matter what you did they couldn’t break free of what they were struggling
It’s How We Finish That Matters
Who cares how we started? That’s what I want to say. No, this isn’t the normal way I start a blog, but today I’m in a fighting mood. Why? Because there are so many of us girls out there who
Walking, Running, Rushing Thru Life
Do you ever go for a leisurely walk? It’s a great idea to get out, relax and enjoy fresh air, warm sun, and the beauty of nature. But me? Not so much. I have a hard time finding time to
When “Doing” Leaves Us Empty
Do you ever get to a point of doing so much that you wonder if it’s all worth it? I do. Does anyone even appreciate our concern and effort? Some of us, including me, are serial “doers”. We see something
Who is Looking For You?
Have you ever been completely lost? I don’t mean just lost as in you don’t have the right driving directions to get to a new restaurant. I mean really lost––as in you’re alone in a foreign or isolated place and
A Majority That Always Wins
What’s a situation you faced when you felt completely outnumbered? Most of us have never been on a battlefield when enemy forces dwarfed our own, but we can still feel like the odds are against us. Maybe it’s a sports
Floating in the Dead Sea
Have you ever relaxed on a raft in a pool or the ocean? For me it’s the epitome of peacefulness. Feeling the warm sun, smelling the fresh breeze, floating softly as the stress just melts away. That’s the life. If
Here I Am, But Send Someone Else!
Have you ever been “volunteered” for something you really didn’t want to do? If you’re like me, you’re still wondering, “How did it happen?” When they were looking for someone to step up we did the right thing; we kept
The Beauty of Baptism–Our New Threads
Have you ever seen someone get baptized? What does it mean? I’ve watched baptisms at various churches and each one is different. Some baptize babies and others baptize people who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Some baptize
A Matter of Life or Death
Have you ever had to make a decision with huge consequences? It’s not easy figuring out the right choice because there are so many factors to consider. Risks. Pros and cons. The effects on us and others. Long-term repercussions we
Calling On God–Local or Long Distance?
Do you know anyone with a calling plan that allows calls to certain numbers without charging minutes? Before cell phones, we had land lines that charged different rates for local and long distance calls, and different rates for daytime, nights
Don’t Be Afraid!
What do Golgotha, Mt. of Olives, Dead Sea, Mt. Sinai, Galilee, Nazareth, Bet Shean and Petra, Jordan all have in common? No hints. Give up? Ok, I’ll tell you. They’re a few of the places I experienced on my trip
Hope for Tomorrow
Have you ever had one of those days where nothing goes right? You turn off the alarm instead of hitting snooze and fall back asleep. Jolting awake an hour later, you grab clothes with blazing speed–not enough time to wash
Too Many Pity Shots Ruin The Party
Have you ever been at a party where someone had too much to drink? It can get ugly. Whether “true feelings” flow or someone is emboldened by lack of judgment, generally tears are involved. Harsh words erupt. Tempers flare. The
It’s Not About Me – Living With Joy
When was the last time you encountered someone who believes the world revolves around them? They’re actually not that hard to find. We’re living during “Generation Me”, a generation of people who thinks life is all about “Me”. Regardless of
Where’s the Hand Gel? – Real Life Dirt
Are we obsessed with being clean? No really. There was a time when there were only two kinds of soap: liquid and bar. Liquid was used for washing dishes and the bar was for washing people. Now there’s liquid, bar,
Fishing v. Phishing – Dangers of Gossip
Not all girls are outdoorsy types, but have you ever had an outdoor experience that made you feel like one with nature? Like you were a part of what was happening in the serene world that others may never see?