The most daunting task in life is not working towards change. Instead, it is the ability to fully embrace the change God is continually doing in and through you. It seems to me that God loves making Himself known more in the "question marks" of our lives rather than in our "exclamation" moments. Such was the case for me as I found myself at a complete stranger's house in Missouri at a retreat a few years ago. Just prior to arriving at the retreat, I was in the hospital recovering from a stroke. Doctors believe it was stress induced as we were losing our home, I had recently given birth to our third child and nobody in our family had a steady source of income. Stress? What stress? I was working hard for change and instead, I found myself literally stressed-out. I was in my Continue Reading
The Best Remedy for Your Worst Pity Party
I've lost count of how many pity parties I've thrown for myself through the years. It seems on any given day, I can easily create a mental list of things that didn't go right, problems I didn't deserve and blessings someone else received instead of me. It doesn't take much. When I'm vulnerable, emotional or tired. When I've been so busy spinning my wheels that I forget to slow down and breathe. Or when I'm stuck in the muck of comparison. My thoughts carry me to dark places before I even realize they're in control - instead of me. During these times, I'm not a good judge of all the good in my life. Because I've spent too much time focusing on all the "less than" in my life. And I have a feeling I'm not alone in this. Sometimes those "less than's" take up so much space in our Continue Reading
8 Ways to Create an Out-of-the-Ordinary Summer
There is something to be said for "out of the ordinary." It brings a certain freshness and spontaneity that is so necessary in resetting our life, especially during the summer months. As much as I love intention and routine, my creature of habit tendencies carry me into ruts before I'm ever aware I'm there. My days become predictable, my disposition is snarky, and life, in general, feels stale. I know the signs when my energy drops and my creativity dries up. It's time to change things up. It's time to reset. Seven months ago, after living in the same home for 22 years, we sold. It was a whirlwind sale, and it sold to the first family who came knocking. I didn't have time to second guess or cry over painted covered measurements of each child's years of growth. We pitched, we Continue Reading
8 Faith-Filled Ways to Brave the Wait – Made for Brave Sisterhood
In a world of instant gratification, waiting is the last thing any of us want to do. And when waiting involves crucial areas of our life, it's even more difficult. Learning to brave the wait with both hope and courage makes all the difference, and these 8 faith-filled tips from Julie Loos are sure to encourage. Doesn’t it seem like we’re always waiting? Waiting to turn sweet sixteen and learning to drive. Hanging on to finally become an adult, then we lingering as we wait for the big 2-1. We find ourselves waiting for Mr. Right, having kids, those kids growing up, and then filling the time until we retire. We are waiting to get to each of these moments, and these are just the big moments in life we have to patiently wait through. In the ordinary of life, we sit in Continue Reading