Hope in Hard Times
When You Feel Discouraged
I woke up with the same old voice in my head telling me to stay in bed. I wanted to get up and conquer the day, but it was hard to gather the energy to get anything done. I’ve had my share of discouraging days. And I know you have too. Here’s what I have…
Read MoreWhen Life Hurts
Hurt. It’s a fact of life that we learn early. It’s like a skinned knee that never seems to heal because you keep running and falling on it again and again. You could stop running and prop that leg up to let it rest, but life keeps on moving so you keep moving too. With…
Read MoreHope in Grief
It’s been a year since the passing of my dad. And I’ll be honest. I’m still grieving. But I’m finding hope in grief. Grief isn’t all tears and sadness. It’s a process of accepting reality and coping with the new that loss brings. And we all handle it differently. The common bond we each hold…
Read MoreWhy I Write My Plans in Pencil
The year was about to change. A new chance to start fresh. A do over. I prepared my heart for big things. I opened my mind to opportunities that felt impossible. Then the day came – January 1. Before midnight hit, unexpected circumstances marched in loud and strong to a beat I never anticipated. There…
Read MoreHope When Life is Heavy
I entered the therapist office hoping for relief, help, and insight into all the struggles we were dealing with at home. Though the appointment was for my foster son, part of me wanted to kick my feet up on the edge of couch, recline, and breathe out all the things I was going through. Life…
Read MoreThe Deeper the Love, The Deeper the Loss
The phone rang and I knew. It was the wee hours of the morning. I bolted awake and said, “Hello!” The words I heard next came as a relief of sorts and a knife all at once. My dad’s battle with cancer ended and somehow it felt as if he’d won even though he…
Read MoreCan We Really Cast All Our Anxiety?
My heart literally feels broken in two. It’s a physical result of emotional strain. Maybe you know the feeling. Life happens, and it hurts. So you take deep breaths to try to release it, but no form of meditation or deep breathing exercise seems to release the grip that anxiety holds behind the breast bone.…
Read MoreCancer Changes Us
Life is a roller coaster. Cancer takes the ride to a whole new level. Just when you think the ride is slowing down, a rushing force can take you to a place of complete shock and terror. This has been the roller coaster I’ve been riding since the calendar changed to 2018. Just when I…
Read MoreWorry: One Simple Change
If you missed the first post in the series, you can find it here: Week 1 – Worry: It’s a Real Thing I bolted from my room as the fire alarm sounded and I rushed to the bedrooms where my children lay sleeping. When the fire alarm goes off in the middle of the night,…
Read MoreWorry: It’s a Real Thing
Worry. It’s the jaw-clenching, gut-wrenching, heart-pounding thing that makes you wonder what life will hold next. It’s the fear over what you said yesterday, or what will happen tomorrow. It’s the ache in the pit of your stomach that won’t give up, and the wrinkles in your forehead that can’t relax. It’s real. And it’s…
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