Tag: purpose
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Christmas: When Our Expectations Flip Upside Down
Christmas time is packed full of expectations. Every parent tasked with decorating their home and buying gifts for their children understands exactly what I mean. Even those hosting the holiday meal make sure to serve it with all the expected traditional dishes. No one wants to disappoint their loved ones. We strive instead for that…
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Advent: When God Broke Through the Silence
The Advent season is upon us. Now is the time for retelling the story of Jesus’ birth in Christmas pageants across the globe. Tradition paints us a picture of a diverse cast of characters from the very young to the elderly, the poorest in ancient society to the most powerful. The word of the Lord…
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What the World Needs Now Is . . . You!
I remember the moment when I first stumbled upon Psalm 139. It was a time in my early life when I first started reading the Bible—REALLY reading the Bible. Not out of any sense of moral obligation or intellectual study but out of curiosity. I had many questions for God (and still do), not the…
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Bent But Not Broken: 5 Ways to Grow Resilience
A solitary tree stands like a sentry in our backyard stretching upward into the sky. It marks the entrance to the holler leading up to the natural spring feeding water to our home. Although only a common tulip poplar, this tree has a distinctive feature not easily noticed in the tall grass. The base of…
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Don’t Let the Gray Hair Fool You
Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Even though I joined the ranks of senior citizens some time ago, I haven’t allowed it to deter me. And neither have a good number of my peers. We are a force to be reckoned with yet also a massive movement for good. While it is true that…
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Never Forget—It’s Not About You
In this life, it’s easy for me to lose sight of my real purpose. This is especially true when I’m recovering from an injury that’s taking much longer to heal than I ever anticipated. My mood tends to go to dark places and I begin to question whether the goals I’ve set for myself are…
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Good Intentions Without Actions Are a Dead-End Street
Some say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. But I say, good intentions without actions are a dead-end street. They may not be taking you to hell, but they certainly aren’t taking you any place worthwhile. This past week, I finished the expanded version of my novel The Dream Chaser and sent…
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Celebrating This Exceptionally Unwelcome Birthday
In July, I turn 65 and for the past 3 months, insurance companies have hounded me to sign up for Medicare. From emails to phone calls and even Facebook ads, they implore me to choose their supplement or Advantage plan. The stubborn part of me, continues to procrastinate. Why do all these people persist in…
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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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Time Flows Like a River
Time flows like a river . . . crashing over boulders in wild torrents . . . then moving in slow, lazy currents. We modify our passage through the stream, yet it carries us forward. The waters of time steadily course their way to the sea. My mind struggles to comprehend how quickly time passes….
