Hidden in the Walls

I have recently had opportunity to share some childhood stories that have brought some surprised looks, questioning glances, and straight out laughter. One story in particular consistently brings a shaking of the head from the person to which it is told and it is fun to watch the reactions after the tale has been completed. […]

What Do You Long For?

I think one of the coolest things about our trip out west last month was the stark contrast between the rocky brown mountains and the deep blue sky. This picture does not do it justice but as we traveled I found myself over and over again staring in awe and snapping pictures in an attempt […]

Wisdom and Strength

Isn’t it funny – or maybe funny isn’t the right word – that it is so difficult sometimes to ask for help. It is almost like we think that if we ask for help somehow we have failed at the task, or that we are an inconvenience, or that we aren’t strong enough to work […]

Whatever is True

At my core, I am an optimist. I look for the good in situations and the good in people as often as possible. It is hard for me to hold on to an idea that something good won’t come from a troublesome experience. For the most part. I think we all have moments when seeing […]

Growth Welcomed

God is Good. His plan is for our good and never our harm. Every joyful moment, every painful moment, every mistake and every success are all part of His greater plan to make us more like Jesus. Hurting is not fun. But just as a child has growing pains, our emotional pain is an instrument […]

Where Do You Go to Seek Wisdom?

It is hard to know how to move forward in certain circumstances. The answers are just naturally not within us. Go into any bookstore today and you will find whole sections of how to books. How to fix cars, how to win friends and influence people, how to be happy, how to be successful. Self […]

Against my Nature

I wouldn’t say I am a risk taker. Not in the common sense of the term. But lately the Lord has been moving and working in my life in ways that are hard to explain. He has given me a confidence in His plan for my future, regardless of what goes on around me. He […]

The Line on the Page

When I was eight years old I made a list of will do’s, might do’s, and will never do’s. I remember the day very well, in fact I can even recall the smells around me when I think of it. On a piece of paper I carefully drew a straight line across the center of […]

The Opportunity Within Difficulty

We have likely all heard a version of this saying – Every cloud has a silver lining. When you are facing a difficulty don’t give up! Don’t get down on yourself. Find the opportunity that’s hidden within whatever difficulty you’re facing, and see how you can make the most out of it. What a difference […]

Growth in Change

In many cases change can be scary, it is the unknown, the uncharted territory that becomes a sea of unanswered questions that makes it so intimidating. What now? How will I get through this? What is the purpose for the change? So many questions that can be seen as both negative and positive. But change […]

The Wily Snake

Satan is a wily snake who will take every opportunity to bring strife into situations in order to try to thwart what God has already set in motion. As human’s we can’t always see the ways he needles his way in and starts whispering lies that are meant to bring destruction. Believing the first lie […]

No More Ordinary

I had a pretty good childhood. Full of adventure, love, acceptance, and instruction in the Lord. My dad was a pastor and we moved a lot. I think this is why we all, (my brothers and sisters and I) are pretty close as adults. We relied on each other for friendships with each move, until […]

Sunday is a Comin

Friday’s here but Sunday’s a comin! This is a phrase I have heard all my life and until I took a moment to fully reflect on what this statement is saying I didn’t truly have an appreciation for what it is all about. Christ DIED for my sins. He died for me! He stood and […]

Unexpected Triggers

Does anyone truly understand the impact that emotional triggers have on the lives of those who have experienced trauma? I think often we look at what we have learned to categorize as ‘triggers’ and we do whatever we can to hide from them. Perhaps this is the wrong approach. Perhaps what we really need to […]

Pain in the Pulse

Today when I was doing my devotions (which in all honestly yesterday I started doing them again after too many years away) Anyway, today’s was on Psalm 74:1-9 which is a call from David to God because he felt that God had turned his back. As I was reading it I started thinking about all […]

Success has nothing to do with Money

It has been a while since I have written anything encouraging. I realized this morning as I sat reviewing the most recent writings that I am using this space for the hurt again and not the joy. I wanted to turn a new leaf and it seems that the leaf has found its way face […]

A Lonely Mothers Day

2010 was the last year my mom was with us for Mother’s day. The memories of that day are both very good and very sad. We had gone to John’s Hopkins Hospital to visit her, I still remember the joy on her face when the kids and I walked in her room and said Happy […]

No New Years Resolutions

I don’t make new years resolutions. I don’t know that I ever have. Not because I am afraid I won’t keep them or because I am holding out against a tradition, but because I have learned that it isn’t about starting a year out and deciding to be a better friend, better mate, better mom, […]

Nothing is Wasted

I came across this yesterday and have been reflecting on what it says and how it can apply to my life. God never wastes an experience “In all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Ro 8:28 NIV No experience is ever wasted if you use it wisely. God can use what […]

The Closed Door

One year ago today I closed the door on a past that had haunted me for far too long. I still remember that day vividly and actually it gives me chills. The good kind. I don’t want to go back there emotionally or mentally to explain what that day brought but I do want to […]

What Will Your Bricks Say?

Emotional walls. We all have them, or we have had them at some point in our lives. Emotional walls are built because we think they will protect us from the pain and shame that comes from either choices we make or choices that were made by others that affect us. Recently I was having a […]

Last Night I Ate A Canoli

September is a tough month. I miss my mom. I miss so many things about who she was, her teaching, her love, and her grace. She was an amazing woman whose life touched the lives of men and women around the world. Five years ago she died after developing a brain tumor. Her battle was, […]

Continuing to Hope

Life is funny sometimes. Just when you think you have it all figured out and know where you want to go something comes along and throws a wrench (or in this case a rose) into it. I had my life figured out. I was going to be alone and I was going to like it. […]

Pain becomes a part of you

My sister’s boyfriend died last night. We are all still processing the senselessness of it and I for one am reeling from the reality of the fragility of life. Today is September 10th. Tomorrow marks the day that changed the lives of thousands of Americans with the attacks on the world trade centers, the pentagon […]

Where do you find contentment?

What is contentment? What does it mean to you? In this media heavy – keeping up with the Jones’ society we live in it is hard to find someone who is a true example of contentment. For the purpose of this post I googled the word contentment and came up with all sorts of definitions […]

My Help Comes From You

One of the things I say over and over again is that Life Isn’t Fair. Today I spent some time in prayer for two individuals. One of which I don’t know and will likely never actually meet his family but I, along with a number of other Christ followers were asked to pray for this […]

Where do you store your treasures?

These past couple of weeks I have been going through the stuff I have accumulated in my house with the intent of getting rid of the things I do not need. Wow what a job this has been. I look around and wonder how in the world I have accumulated so much stuff.  Some of […]

Expectations Breed Resentment

Expectations are not necessarily a bad thing. There is such a thing as good and realistic expectations. I have expectations, for example, I expect the chair I am sitting in not to collapse. I expect time to continue moving forward. I expect to receive a paycheck at the end of the week. I expect my kids to […]

Dad your unsung hero

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” This statement was made by Billy Graham. I don’t know when, and I don’t know the context in which it was said, but what I do know is that these words are absolutely […]

Healing Brings Insecurity

Relationships are hard. They bring uncertainty, joy, frustration, happiness, insecurity, security, hope and futility. For someone who has a history of pain in relationships these low points can cause emotions to spring up that can be paralyzing.  Sometimes those emotions are a very real reaction to a situation that hurts and sometimes they are a […]

Do You Suffer Well?

Being a single adult in our society has both its upsides and its downsides. There is a freedom in friendships and relationships that allows for a broad spreading of wings and learning about what characteristics you are compatible with, what you find attractive and what you want to shy away from. Having many friends of […]

My Last Mothers Day

Sunday May 10th 2015 is the last mother’s day that I will be ‘just mom’. It is a strange feeling yet also very exciting. From the moment I learned I was pregnant my life changed forever. In May of 1993 my daughter was born and with her came joys, fears, love and experiences I never […]

Stop Feeling Guilty

Groundless guilt is a huge relationship barrier that can cause feelings of resentment, anger, frustration and hurt for no reason. What is unrealistic guilt? It is that guilt that you automatically feel when you have done nothing wrong but you are so trained to feel like you are wrong that as soon as a comment is […]

Judgement

As sad as it is, the older I get and the more experiences I have the more I realize just how unforgiving are those who are called to be filled with grace. In Matthew 7 we are commanded to withhold judgement, for who am I to judge others when I have so much sin in […]

Tax Day

This is the first time that I can remember that I had anything tax related to do on tax day. The careful control of when things needed to be done and finishing a task long before it was required has been a big part of my life. This year it seems everything has changed. My […]

Imagine a Gift

Imagine a cold December, each day a cloudy day. Imagine the clouds surrender to allow for a sunny ray Remember the cold December, each day a cloudy day. Remember the times when laughter seemed so very far away. Imagine a ray of sunshine, nudging its way right through Imagine me sitting quietly, happily next to […]

Those stinking scars

This week has been full of emotional ups and downs. This site is about healing and allowing time for healing old wounds. Some of our wounds are by our own doing, some of our wounds were caused by another’s actions but no matter the origin wounds take time to heal. I have many wounds that […]