Oftentimes, it’s difficult to utter that tiny little word, “no”. I ponder this shortly after I’ve agreed to yet another task I should not be tackling. But it’s too late. I’ve committed myself, stretching myself too thin once again. In an effort to please everyone, I end up exhausted, weary, and longing to hide from […]
Welcoming the Unchurched
What message are we communicating to our unchurched neighbors this Easter? I hope it’s one of hope and love and acceptance, but when I read some of the church signs I’ve seen recently, I can’t help but wonder. Signs that suggest that coming to church on Easter is a bad thing – if you don’t […]
Oh, To Be Honest
What if, today, when you ask me how I’m doing, I give you an honest answer? What if I refuse to sugarcoat my response? What if I just put it all out there? My raw emotions, my hurts, my struggles, my disappointments. What if I don’t attempt to hide my fears from you? What if […]
Go Away, Grief! It’s Christmas
Even at Christmas, losses still occur. Goodbyes become reality. Grief pays you a visit. Yes, even at Christmas. It fastens itself to you and holds on tightly, accompanying you to every Christmas party, shopping trip, and candlelight service. This unwelcome guest becomes part of you, and part of your Christmas. Like it or not. It threatens to drain your joy. […]
Son, You Are Loved
Dear Son, Thoughts of you fill my mind tonight. It’s your first night not living at home. And although you’ve been away from home many times, you’ve never not lived here, in this house, under this roof, with your dad and me and your siblings. Yes, tonight is different. You packed up most of your […]
When Under-Achieving Happens
When an over-achiever (that would be me) falls prey to a season of under-achieving (that’s where I’ve found myself too often lately), it is very easy to feel like a failure. A failure in so many areas we work so hard to perfect. For me that equates to failure as a wife, as a […]
Being You is Okay
I’ve never been much of a talker, always more of the quiet type. As a child and young adult, I was extremely timid and shy. I would sit in a classroom tormented because I knew the answer to a question posed by the teacher, but lacked confidence and courage to lift my hand and let […]
Mail.on.Mondays: Dear Child of Mine
Dear Child of Mine: I know you dislike me saying no to your ideas for fun and adventure. You see my “no” as an unwelcome interruption to your plans. Especially when everyone else is going there, and doing that, and wearing such things as they do. Yes, I am keenly aware that when […]
Messiest of Messes
I found myself cleaning up the messiest of messes the other day. The type of dirtiness that requires rubber gloves and a pinched nose. It wasn’t my mess. In fact, I have no idea who made the mess, but someone did, and they left it for another somebody to clean up. That “lucky” somebody happened to […]
