I don’t know about you, but some days I wish which way to load my toilet paper was the most difficult decision of my day! There’s a term for having to make too many decisions and having too many options with the result being compromised or irrational choices. It’s referred to as “decision fatigue”. Decision fatigue can become a silent enemy in our lives, especially in our personal relationships where word choices and responses are most important. Words kill, words…
Have you ever given thought to what breathes life into you or what drains your energy away? What gives depth and meaning to your life or what is just unproductive busyness? 2008 was the year I began asking those questions and other difficult questions of myself. That was the year I realized my physical health and well-being were in jeopardy. I was in an abusive relationship with food and I was self-destructing. You can find the rest of “My Story”…
Every year as the anniversary of my dad’s death approaches (March 30, 2015) I vacillate back and forth about writing, yet again, about my memories of him. I read a clip this week written by Henri Nouwen that spoke to that place in my heart that honors my dad’s life. My words are not only for me, but for you as well. We all are grieving something in our lives. We all have losses and heartaches. I pray you find…
Part 2~ If you missed part 1, “Severe Mercy”, of this series you can read it here. Join me in this post as we continue walking alongside my friends as they faithfully bare their souls to the healing power of Jesus Christ. I pray you are encouraged….I pray you find strength through Jesus for the hard places in your life like my friends did. The day after my husband and I’s 8th wedding anniversary, he told me that for the last 4…
I began this Scapegoat series with the Biblical story of the woman caught in adultery in the book of John, the 8th chapter. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that her life was changed that day by her encounter with Jesus. I can think of no better way to grasp the cleansing grace of forgiveness than through the words of someone who has been in the same situation. I have dear friends who have personally experienced the heartbreak…
Bring on the Messy… Parts 3 and 4 of this Scapegoat series will be penned by anonymous guest writers. I’ve asked friends who have gone through the trauma of adultery to share their journey on the rebuilding of their marriage. In the first Scapegoat post we followed the woman caught in the act of adultery and her encounter with The Healer, Jesus. Stay tuned for my friends and their bold courage… But for now we will chat over our coffee…
Hello again my coffee friends…. I’ve been thinking of you…. I’ve been thinking of those of you who have found yourselves heartbroken…wounded….betrayed….by someone you have loved and trusted. And today I simply want to pray for you… I want you to know that you are not forgotten….you are not invisible….you have value and worth…. Cruel and evil words do not determine who you are. Jesus Christ has already established your value….it was worth His very life which He willingly gave…
Why me? If you have ever been on the receiving end of a scapegoat-ers attacks, the first question that comes to your mind is…”Why me?” In part one of this four part series, we looked at the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. It is a multi-faceted story between good and evil, religious law and grace, pride and humility, judgement and forgiveness. In a nutshell the religious leaders of the day were out to entrap Jesus,…
Scapegoats……we’ve most likely been one in our lifetime or made someone else one for our own selfish purposes. The instant access to social media, if the outlets can be trusted, would make one think it is the new American past-time. But in reality we need only look in the book of Genesis to find Adam, Eve, and the Deceiver all blaming one another as they find themselves exposed before the Creator of the Universe. The proverbial pointing of the finger…
If you follow me anywhere on social media, you know I love sunrises and sunsets. I #hashtag all my sunset photos with #chasing the sunset. For me a sunset is God’s signature to the end of a day. There is something calming and soothing to the last rays of sunlight creating splashes of color through the clouds. The photo above is the sunset from March 30, 2015…the day my dad passed away. He took his last breath at 6:30 p.m.. …
My desire was to record picture stories for my own children and grandchildren to one day hold in their hands and journey through as I was doing in that moment. I had my entire life history piled around me. I laughed and I cried. As the hours passed I came to realize there was a gentle, quiet healing happening in my heart and soul………. My writing sister, Michele Oleary, graciously invited me to be a guest contributor on her…