Big Encouragement in Small Packages

Have you ever gotten one of those “inspirational” chain emails that says, “Make sure you read through to the end!”? I’m all about trying to encourage others with something funny or inspirational. But the problem I have with most chain

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The 3 C’s of Rising Above

Have you ever felt like you were stuck? Stuck because you agreed to something you didn’t really want to do? Stuck because decisions you made had consequences you didn’t anticipate? Stuck because circumstances or the decisions of others were out

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Beauty Secret #27–Burn Off Bitterness

Do you ever scan magazine covers when you’re waiting in line at the grocery or convenience store? It’s hard not to. The headlines grab us–who’s in, who’s out, who’s this week’s hottest scandal. Even for those of us not following

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Thunderstorms that Rock the House

Do you like thunderstorms? Some people chase them. Some are terrified of them. Me, I love them. I love the deep rolls of thunder that you not only hear but you feel down in your soul. I love watching the

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Forgotten Dreams

    Many of us have endured the pangs of despair and heavy sorrow from shattered hopes and dreams. If this is where you are today, my heart goes out to you. I am truly sorry that you’re in pain.

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My Day as a Race Car Driver

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? In kindergarten, my teacher had each student make a “book” of pictures we drew showing three things we dreamed of being when we got older. My

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Drive Life’s Highway–Eyes on the Road

What was it like when you learned to drive? Did you have to take a Driver’s Ed course? Did a parent or family member sit in the passenger seat barking out instructions–one after another–until you were ready to pull the

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The Struggling Worm

Have you ever gone to a bridal shower, baby shower or other gathering and you have to play a game to get to know the other people at the party? Personally, I hate those games (ok, maybe “hate” is too

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Living in the Middle–Addiction Shadows

Have you ever known someone struggling with addiction? My experience is that they often laugh it off or minimize its affect on them. Even our society doesn’t seem to think some addictions are all that serious. Workaholic? At least they’re

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View through the Keyhole

What do you think of when someone says “keyhole”? Nowadays, we have a small metal slit that our slender key fits in as it unlocks a deadbolt or doorknob. But have you ever seen a really old door? You know,

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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,

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Believing In God In A World Gone Mad–#2

Yesterday I shared about my conversation with a friend who’s an atheist. He doesn’t believe in God. My friend and I began our discussion by talking about whether or not God exists. Then he moved on to the obstacles preventing

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Believing In God In A World Gone Mad–#1

I talked to a friend of mine recently who’s an atheist. He doesn’t believe that God exists. Every couple of months we have a discussion about the new “theories” of science or what atheist leaders are saying about creation and

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Message in the Chocolate

Do you ever have one of those cravings where nothing will satisfy you until you get specifically what you’re craving? I do. I crave dark chocolate. My love of this decadent (and nutritious) dessert is no secret. But many times

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Your Deepest Secret–Don’t Tell Anyone

Can you keep a secret? We know secrets. We hide our own. We promise to carry someone else’s. We listen to the whispers of gossip as bonds of trust are broken. We clamor to hear the exposed secrets of celebrities

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Dump the Destination–Choose to Cruise

If you had the opportunity to plan a vacation, would you fly to a city or beach of your choice and spend your time based out of one location, or would you go on a cruise so you could visit

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A Shoe Fetish–The Early Years

How do you feel about shoes? It may seem like a crazy question, but really, what’s your opinion? Are you the type of person who thinks shoes serve the basic function of protecting your feet, so you have the obligatory

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We Are Survivors!

Our world can be a dark and scary place. Bad people are doing bad things. Bad things happen to good people. Senseless things happen to innocent people. We see it. We hear about it. Some of us live it. People

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Victory Thinking

We have a lot on our minds. I don’t know about you, but my mind is constantly racing trying to keep up with everything. Work, school, family, relationships, finances, health issues, cleaning, errands–to name just a few. Busyness. Non-stop juggling

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Bonds of Sisterhood–Our Journey Begins!

What comes to mind when someone says “friend”? For most of us, it brings warm thoughts and a smile. We think of someone we like, and even love. And they feel the same way about us. A good friend is

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