Her eyes widened as she moved her chair closer to the table. The crowded coffee shop had not deterred her from being open and honest. Now, it was my turn. This young girl in her twenties tried to conceal her surprised expression. “I thought you wouldn’t understand, Karen. I imagined your childhood and life near perfect.” Oh, how wrong her sentiments. Truth is, we held much in common. We both experienced a troubling upbringing, one affecting our life as adults. When a parent abandons a child physically or emotionally, they leave behind a broken life and heart. As I opened up to my coffee-shop friend, pain from my past spilled out as tears. In the most vulnerable way, I conveyed how I spent part of my childhood with one parent absent and the other present, but just in the Continue Reading
Real Beauty is You!
Real beauty is not found in a mirror or on a scale; it doesn't fit within the boundaries of height or weight. Real beauty cannot be created from a bottle or a jar; it's not dictated by age, color or measurements. Real beauty is not in sameness or in perfection. It cannot be contained; it cannot be silenced; it cannot be hidden! Real beauty is revealed in every smile and in every hug; it grows in every choice to be vulnerable and transparent. Real beauty is captured in the ordinary and the simple; it is proclaimed in moments of courage, honesty and compassion. Real beauty is natural and organic. It penetrates imperfection; its dance is immeasurable and spontaneous; its song is unmistakable, contagious and authentically memorable! Real beauty is YOU! "I will Continue Reading
Choosing Renovation Over Ruin: For the Sake of a Legacy
A ceiling light globe filled with water is never a good sign! I think I just stopped in my tracks, not really believing what I was seeing. It didn't take long however for the snapping and popping and steady buzz of electricity bouncing off moisture to register, and I quickly turned the light off. I know nothing about leaks or electricity, only enough to realize emptying the globe of resting water or a simple plumbing fix wasn’t going to take care of the problem. The issue went much deeper. We needed a total renovation, not a quick fix. Continue Reading
Forever #Pre-Approved
It’s my favorite place, this chunky red chair tucked within the corner, a sanctuary surrounding the peace of winter’s foggy mornings. This place of sinking and settling in to safety, where God breathes life into my bones and whispers affirmations to a soul always needing reminded of a father’s love. The memory surfaces in this space of emptying; I’ve learned to trust the timing. And it’s really not about the memory as much as it is the message. Once buried deeply and clinging to the fragile walls of this little-girl-heart. For too many years steering and driving toward an endless search for approval and belonging. Continue Reading