As we drove home from a weekend away in the mountains, I felt a heavy sense of dread and sadness. Laying my head back on my seat, I told my husband, JJ, "I don't want to go home." The stress and strain of countless commitments at home and at work were taking a toll on me. If only I could return to that little mountain town where no one knew me ...
It had been a hard day, running too many errands with two small children. My three-year-old didn’t understand why we couldn’t buy every toy his tiny hands could touch. And he insisted on climbing in and out of the grocery cart, which led to whining when I stopped him. I was not a happy mama and wondered how all the other moms in the store seemed ...
I had it all planned: when they would all arrive what I needed to do beforehand how I wanted my heart to feel when they got here Not wanting to become “the frazzled friend” I often turn into when hosting a get-together, I banned myself from Pinterest and my own desire for perfect. I wrote out a timeline and recruited help from a friend. ...
"What are you good at? Is there something you would love to do?” I listened as the facilitator of our team-building exercise asked these questions. And when she asked us to go around the circle and share our answers, I panicked on the inside because I didn't have an answer. So I listened closely to others share their dreams, hoping I might ...
I checked my email soon after I woke up. Made breakfast, ate, looked at my phone, and checked it again. Fifteen minutes later, I decided to read my Bible and my devotional. When I was finished, I sat down at my desk and checked email and Instagram. Ran a few errands, and while waiting in line at Target, popped into my inbox and scrolled through ...
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. Psalm 28:7 NIV Finding Strength in My Struggles All throughout the Psalms, we see a man who struggled with fear of his enemies, the betrayal of his friends, and the selfish sin of his own heart. Yet King ...
I used to be hesitant to pray and sometimes I stumbled over my words when talking to God. Yet I desperately wanted to say the right things because I thought if I prayed the right way, God would listen and answer my prayers, the way I wanted Him to. Eventually I got up the courage to talk with a friend about my fears and struggles. She assured me I ...
It's been a decade since Andrew told me, but I'll never forget the words that spilled out of my little boys heart so effortlessly. Words that changed the way I pressured myself into believing I had to be the perfect mom. Driving through carpool line, Andrew held his bag of Valentine treats and asked when they’d be passing them out in class. Code ...
I sat across the table listening to their laughter and admiring the bond between two older women I’d just met at a luncheon. Their friendship was uncommon and my heart craved the kind of connection they had. The way they loved each other, how well they knew each other and how much they enjoyed being together reminded me of a Hallmark commercial. ...
“Should I be honest?” I wondered. “What if I start crying? What if she doesn’t really have time to listen? What if she is just asking to be nice? I could keep it simple and tell her I’m fine.” There I was, standing in the lobby at church waiting for my husband, when an old friend walked up and asked how I was doing. Our then three-year-old ...
