If you scratch beneath those early years, you’ll find the words of Elisabeth Elliot. Her message of relentless hope has carried so many through adversity to the other side of deeper healing. I spent part of this week looking at skeletons and footprints from Dinosaurs in a museum. It’s fascinating to realize that these animals have left an impression that’s lasted countless years. I also heard sad news of a tremendous author passing away and it made me think—what kind of fingerprint do I want to leave when I’m gone? That sea foam-green carpeting When Elisabeth Elliot came to speak…
Lay Down Old Luggage
Part Three of the Lockout Series It’s spring so perhaps you’ve been tidying up as we have in the corners that grow stacks like bunnies and need a fresh approach. It’s a continual struggle for me, this rearming, refocusing, and getting rid of things. I’ve spent time recently sorting out, yet more to go, but I don’t want to miss an opportunity because I’m holding onto something it’s time to part with, and hopefully help someone else along the way. I once heard a speaker talking about the best ways to help others. He described how impossible it is to…
Are You A Double Agent?
Part Two of the Lockout Series When I say the word “undercover” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it’s secret agents, or double agents. I like spy movies and intrigue. But here’s a tricky thought: are you your own double agent when it comes to dealing with trials? Are you improving over time or remaining paralyzed in pain? If you stuff down rather than press through, you may have secretly, stealthily been hampering your own progress. How’d a double agent get here? When you’re going through a rough time, sometimes you and your loved ones are…
Resilience Or Lockout?
How do you reinvent your trials by fire? I’ve been polishing my proposal for the manuscript now that the novel is complete and needed something to keep the super book I’m reading open. I reached in the desk drawer and saw this heavy lock. I laid it down with a loud, THUNK! Without realizing it, I’d put possibly the hardest iconic item right on my future dreams—the lock from our storage unit after the fires. EEK! What a word picture. This one object protected the photos and items the fire fighters grabbed as our home was in flames. We were…
Under The Waterfall
To escape the hectic pattern of life, where is your favorite place to uncover beauty that feeds your desire for meaning in life? If you can’t answer this question, or can’t remember the last time you tried, read on. For Valentine’s Day, my husband and children and I all visited a favorite place with gorgeous gardens, interesting libraries and science exhibits, and pretty weather. As we walked around, the serenity of the place and beautiful scents from flowers made me smile. Watching my boys chase fish in the coy pond helped me find my girlish giggle once more. After a…
Grace Bombs
I was stacking plastic bowls where the kids have easy access. At the back of the drawer, sat a wad of old pretzels. How did they get there? And this after two drives to school with forgotten items this morning. It’s definitely looking like we need some grace bombs around our home today. I have two tween-aged boys, and so everything around here is very boy-friendly. Especially when we need to learn a lesson. So we developed the question, ”Does this need a grace bomb?” to apply to the little mistakes. Grace fills me with forgiveness and hope, a readiness…
The Green Song
Finding green lights for your dreams. Part of the Hawaiian Insights series. “Mom, sing the green song.” My young son would get us all to sing in the car when we were stuck at a long red light. It seemed to work, lessening the time stopped in traffic or at least getting us to laugh and giggle while we waited. As my sons have grown, now I ask them to sing the “green” song if we’re in a hurry. It’s made me more sensitive to the color green, especially since we live in a semi-arid climate without much of a…
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