Will this be a difficult Christmas for you? Amid all the activities and festivities, is your heart breaking as you miss the presence of a loved one? Loss comes in many different forms and the associated grief manifests differently for each of us. Your grief may be new or surface afresh after many years. I […]
Maintaining Perspective and Reaching Out
Last week, I learned of several in our community who died from COVID-related complications. This week, I know those who are struggling with multiple health conditions or new diagnoses. I look around me at church and count multiple people who lost a spouse or other family members in the past year. Honestly, as we near […]
When Life Hands You a Cluster of Difficulty
In my search for tomatoes that taste like the kind my father used to grow in the backyard, I discovered the ones that come closest are what the grocery store labels “cluster tomatoes,” the kind with the vine still attached. Sometimes, strange things, like cluster tomatoes, speak to me about life. As I unloaded groceries, […]
Relishing Relationships
This week marks 30 years since my father died. When you have a good Daddy, thirty years is a long time to live without him. But intertwined in missing him are the memories of his hugs, with a jiggly squeeze at the end, the sight of his dimples when he told tall tales, his love, […]
Promoting Personal Peace
Do world events disturb you? The turbulence of hostile government takeovers, an ongoing pandemic, and personal challenges loom large and threaten to rob us of peace. Often, it takes effort to avoid being pulled into the vortex of tumult and succumbing to fear. I’m not suggesting we shut ourselves off from what is going on […]
Harnessing Hope
A few weeks ago, I posted information on social media about my new book, Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well. Someone commented, “Life gone…not on pause.” Since I didn’t know the situation that prompted the comment, I waited to answer until I had time to think. As I pondered, I sensed “hopelessness” was the […]
The Peace Inspired by Nature
As I entered our neighborhood last week, my mind was occupied with complicated issues, but the sight before me filled me with joy. The late afternoon sun highlighted multiple shades of green—the trees above and the shrubs and grass below. Interspersed in the verdant hues were bright pops of white and purple. It’s easy to […]
Gaining Perspective on the New Year
With the dawn of a new year, many expected immediate improvement. But as we flipped the calendar to 2021 many things remain unchanged. The weariness of the old year clings to us. A year-long pandemic still rages. Overwhelming grief is an unwanted companion to many. Uncertainty is still present. So how do we gain perspective […]
What 2020 Taught Us
Weathering a difficult season of life often feels like treading water in rough seas. You do pretty well for a while and then suddenly a huge wave swamps you. Undertow pulls you down, and as you struggle to reach the surface, you wonder how much more you can take. For many, 2020 felt like unrelenting […]
The Heart of Christmas
Have you noticed Christmas doesn’t feel like Christmas this year? Everyone is trying hard, but despite early decorating and attempts at festive social media posts, Christmas 2020 just isn’t the same. To say this year has been hard is a massive understatement. And just when you think you’re doing okay handling the strangeness, isolation, and […]