Children are not problems to solve, but people with problems. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Phillipians 4:11). You can live with your emotions no matter how intense; what you can't do is live without them. When you want to… Continue reading One-liners to think about
Decisions
Sometimes the things you value will conflict, so you have to choose between them. And it's hard sometimes. I've been super indecisive lately, a lot because I really am not sure where I am heading in life. It's also because I really value taking care of my children. But I also value my own personal… Continue reading Decisions
What Life Is
We all have our idea of what life should look like. We're never quite sure where this ideal comes from, but maybe a combination of a lot of things: our childhood, our values, television, social media, the lives of others, etc. Life should be happy. We should be able to live in a clean, single-family house… Continue reading What Life Is
Six thoughts
I've had quite a bit of technology problems lately: I locked myself out of my phone and ended up resetting it; my computer blew up with electrical problems; and a whole bunch of files on my website randomly disappeared. Conclusions: keep good backups of all your stuff. In multiple ways. I like to have things… Continue reading Six thoughts
Levels of conversion: scripture study and going in the right direction
A seven-year-old girl is beginning to read scriptures for the first time. She believes they are true. She knows some stories and she doesn't understand all the words, but she keeps trying. A man has read the scriptures before, but struggles to do it on a daily basis. He believes they are true and is… Continue reading Levels of conversion: scripture study and going in the right direction
Accepting the unfinished
It's okay to let things be, even though they are unfinished and incomplete. I have written books that will only exist in computer files, rough and unread. I have made plans for houses that I will never live in again. I have started learning, only to forget. Incomplete. Unfinished. Wanting. Imperfect. Partial. Lacking. Fragments. Inadequate. Deficient.… Continue reading Accepting the unfinished
Life is hard and it sucks and I’m really happy about that
I have no idea where I got it into my head that life could be almost perfect. Maybe it was because of social media and advertising and the fake, perfect lives that I saw represented there. Maybe it was because I grew up with a whole lot of stability and without any major challenges (but even… Continue reading Life is hard and it sucks and I’m really happy about that
enjoying where I live
A few days ago, I was sitting at home with my kids. We were bored. There isn't a lot to do where I live, or very many places to go--and I have usually blamed my circumstances on any discontent I've felt, and wanted to be somewhere else. But I moved away from this and then… Continue reading enjoying where I live
A little adjustment can make a large change
Do you ever feel like you need some change in your life? And not just a little change, but a big change, like throwing out all of your stuff, moving, never looking at the internet again, and changing your appearance completely. Sometimes we can make small adjustments in order to have the large change that… Continue reading A little adjustment can make a large change
rich and poor
Have you ever noticed how much you really have? Someone always has more, but someone also has less. Thoughts often crowd your mind--new clothes, more space, better car, bigger bank account, more, bigger, better--you forget what's already there. There are so many different ways to travel: barefoot, sandals, bike, used car, airplane. There are so… Continue reading rich and poor