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Reaching the Mountaintop: Three Ways to Overcome the Arrival Fallacy
Do you long to live on a mountaintop? Like many other people, this was my dream. Mountaintop living consumed my thoughts as my husband and I searched for the perfect home. In my mind, this goal made absolute sense. If I left behind the busyness and booming growth of my birthplace, then I could find…
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When Something Good Feels Hard
For every ending, there is a new beginning. For each step forward, we must move from where we stand. This letting go is a necessary but difficult part of living. When something good feels hard, there is a sort of grief that takes place. We mourn for what’s been, before we can truly embrace what’s…
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What Dreams Live in Your Imagination?
I’m a dreamer. I always have been since I was a child. As an avid reader, I imagined myself in faraway lands, even traveling to outer space. My cousins and I composed plays from our imaginings which we presented to our parents during our visits together. We built tree houses and pretended to be pirates….
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Seeking Out My Solitary Place
Our boots crunch in the new fallen snow blanketing the path as we wind our way through the forest. From a nearby bush, a cardinal startles at our presence. With a flash of red and the flurry of wings, he is gone. My husband and I walk in companionable silence as the trees bend to-and-fro…
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Like a Rose in Winter
Like a rose in winter caught by frost too soon, Is a beautiful mind fading far ahead of its doom. Petals float through our fingers as we try to stop their fall, But our efforts prove futile, your fragile memories lost to us all. Mother, dear Mother, where did you go? Like a rose in…
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The Best Christmas Gift Ever
What was your best Christmas gift as a child? This is a common ice-breaker question at holiday parties and answers are as varied as Christmas ornaments on a tree. For girls, Barbie dolls are a common favorite with some kind of truck as a special remembrance for the boys. For me, it was a rocking…
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Is Life Driving You in Circles?
Do you sometimes feel like you’re driving in circles like a race car at the Indy 500? I know I do. Life moves along at such a rapid pace. Often, I can’t find an exit to simply stop. Can you relate? This dilemma reminds me of an incident that happened years ago to my good…
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What Is That in Your Hand?
What is that in your hand? A voice within my dream inquired. Sudden and distinct, the question woke me from my slumber. I peered at my hand, but my palm was empty . . . vacant. At first glance, I held nothing in my hand. All the while, my mind struggled to remember. Where have…
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Fix My Focus on the Future
My life is full of distractions. If it’s not social media grabbing my attention, I’m ruminating about the rising price of gasoline or the dismal performance of the stock market. Each one of us is bombarded on a daily basis with an overwhelming load of negative information. No wonder the rate of anxiety and depression…
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A Light Shining Within the Darkness
Have you ever tried to walk outside after dark without a flashlight? Unless you’re familiar with the path, it’s nearly impossible to avoid bumping into hidden objects. However, if you allow your eyes to adjust, the glow from the moon is enough to illuminate your route. Even though it’s dim, this light shining within the…
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One of God’s Greatest Masterpieces
Autumn is by far my favorite season of the year. The crisp morning air and the earthy smell of dry leaves crunching beneath my feet captivate me. But these attributes of fall pale in comparison to the vibrant hues dotting the vistas near my East Tennessee home. From a lofty vantage point, the view reminds…
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Be Strong and Courageous: The Lord is with You
It takes courage to live every day. Whether you’re worried about a hurricane bearing down on you or the economy tanking, it’s difficult to stay strong. Fear lurks around every corner. How can we hope to be strong and courageous given the circumstances surrounding us on all sides? As I’m writing this post, I’m praying…
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Cleansing Tears
My meditation, Cleansing Tears, is featured today, September 20th, in The Upper Room devotional. Go to their online site at http://upperroom.org to read it and comment, if you like. Thank you so much for all your support!
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Hidden Aqueduct: A Source of Life
Behind our farmhouse, a natural spring flows down the mountainside. You might not notice it as it moves through the lush fern gully strewn with moss covered rocks. But this spring provides the water for our home and the surrounding barns. This hidden aqueduct is a source of life for us as well as the…
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Blessed Are the Flexible
Be flexible, but stick to your principles. Eleanor Roosevelt The first day of our makeshift clinic in Haiti was long and stressful. As everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, I wondered whether this whole trip was a bad idea. Perhaps my initial medical mission would have been better spent in the US rather…
