I have a significant birthday coming up--only significant because we have ten fingers on our hands and therefore we have a base-ten system and we get fascinated with decades. If we were using a base-twelve system, there would be nothing significant about my birthday at all. But here we are. I'm entering a new decade… Continue reading A new decade
The joy of a simple life
I am currently reading a self-help book that drives down the same, worn-out path of trying to convince the reader that they can accomplish a lot because the author has accomplished a lot. If the reader follows the path of the author by doing specific things, then the reader will also be successful. And usually… Continue reading The joy of a simple life
You can cry about the spilled milk … after it’s cleaned up.
So it's about 5:30 in the evening. I really want my husband to be home. I've been working on some things on the computer, which means that either my kids are watching way too much television or the house is a wreck. When I get off the computer, I find that it is both: the… Continue reading You can cry about the spilled milk … after it’s cleaned up.
I don’t know
Recently, I was teaching a lesson in church and someone commenting mentioned that even though she was sharing advice, she didn't feel like she had it all figured out. I feel the same way a lot. If you could look into my day-to-day operations, you would know that I do not have it all together… Continue reading I don’t know
Recognize your struggles
It's okay to fall down. It's okay to have a hard time. The hard time exists whether you admit or not. It's easier to admit it. It's okay to realize that lemons are really sour and not make lemonade. Sometimes you don't want to hide the sour; you want it to use it. It's okay… Continue reading Recognize your struggles
I can do this
I don't exactly like talking to people on the phone. When I was young, I was downright terrified of it. I'm not sure why--maybe I was afraid that I would look like an idiot and not know what to say. Somehow, I had this fear that if I was in the middle of a conversation,… Continue reading I can do this
Treasures of Heaven
When I have been focused more on Jesus Christ, a lot of things that I thought were important simply don’t matter anymore. There are a lot of treasures of the world that seem really appealing—more income, more savings, better stuff, nicer house, more followers—and they aren’t necessarily bad things, unless they become too important and… Continue reading Treasures of Heaven
Changing plans
I have found that many things that I find important are not important to God. And so I have had to change my plans. I’ve removed goals from my list, such as travelling the world or publishing award-winning books—because they were distractions, not what I really wanted my life to look like. And I’ve had… Continue reading Changing plans
Sacrifice
I have to sacrifice, and sometimes it feels really hard to sacrifice the things that I want and the things that feel so important. But I try to remember that sacrifice is giving up one thing for something else that is better. Sometimes I’m so inclined to focus on what I’m giving up that I… Continue reading Sacrifice
Choosing Happy
I really want to be happy. Sometimes I have no idea how to go about doing that. But I've found that I can’t choose to be happy by simply changing my mood; I choose to be happy by living in a specific way, and then the happiness comes. Happiness is difficult to define in words,… Continue reading Choosing Happy