The week before Christmas, I visited my cousin Garner at her home at Kure Beach, North Carolina. I flew in on Sunday after church just in time to see her husband Butch play Santa Claus in the Kure Beach Christmas Show by the pier. I loved it! Butch was hilarious dancing and rapping with all… Continue reading Trash or Treasure?
The Year I Skipped Christmas
Let’s be honest - how many of you right now are feeling like you would love to skip Christmas?
Are you thankful or grateful?
It’s Thanksgiving week and time to focus on what we are thankful for. The key word at my church the last month has been gratitude. Because I’m a ‘word nerd’, I got to thinking — what’s the difference between gratitude and thankfulness? Weuse them interchangeably and the dictionary lists them as synonyms, but theymust have… Continue reading Are you thankful or grateful?
Planting Hope
On a beautiful warm day before the rain and cold weather came, I got outside and planted bulbs. I had bought some boxes of daffodils and little irises for half off at Home Depot and I had a bag of bulbs given to me last spring that I hoped were still good. I grabbed… Continue reading Planting Hope
You are important!
I stepped out of my car in the shopping center parking lot a few days ago and on the ground by my foot was a white index card. Curious, I picked it up. On the flip side was written in sharpie across the card “You are important.” Three colorful smiley face stickers surrounded the words.… Continue reading You are important!
NaNoWriMo, or How Writing a Book is like Running a Marathon
Running and writing do not always go together, although they should. I have been running for the last sixteen years and I’ve learned many life lessons that have helped me become a better writer. Since NaNoWriMo — National November Writing Month— is an endurance event for writers, I found many similarities between writing 50,000 words… Continue reading NaNoWriMo, or How Writing a Book is like Running a Marathon
Living in the Moment
Two weeks ago, I ran the Army Ten Miler in Washington, DC with my cousin Scott and his son Daniel. It was a great experience to be in our nation's capitol with all the military folks, including ROTC units from colleges all over the country, tough looking sergeant types and some very in shape young… Continue reading Living in the Moment
Towards adulting
Most of us struggle at different times in our lives to be the person we feel God is calling us to be. What can we learn from Peter’s life about transitioning to a place where we feel at peace and fulfilled in our spiritual lives?
Letting go
As I’m transitioning into retirement, I’m finding that the guilt baggage follows me. I wake up at night worrying about problems from my old job that are over and done with, things I should have done better or people I could have treated better. These demons love to cavort at night and to remind me of all my shortcomings and inadequacies.
Transitioning to life with children
Nothing changes life more than bringing home a tiny bundle who does little more than eat, cry, poop and sleep. Even for those over the moon happy with the prospect of parenthood, stress is part of the equation. Sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom or watching a TV show — all become juggling acts.
