Recently people keep asking me for advice about how to help others in need. You see, I’ve walked through very dark seasons of life with losing all our possessions, surviving wildfires, dealing with death or sickness, chronic pain issues, financial challenges, and more. You name it. We’ve seen it. Surprisingly, one of the hardest lessons to learn was to accept help. When you’re a giver the last thing you want is to need help from others. I’ve learned so much about grace and hope from being at that deep point of need. My children not having shoes or toys. Not…
Insights From The California Desert Super Bloom
Searching for the super blooms sounded like a great adventure, and we settled in for a long, scenic drive ready to see the transformation we’d heard so much about in the California desert. As we approached Anza Borrego Springs, the mountainous terrain changed to rocky high hills dotted with cactus and rams romping on the hills. We rounded the corner, and while the temperature climbed about twenty degrees, traffic slowed to a crawl, all of us with the same intent. After at least seven years of drought, and with the most rain in over 20 years, the desert was said…
Staying Resilient In Exhausting Moments
Inspirations from the early pioneers It can be exhausting. Moving, major life changes, losses, even new opportunities can really deplete the reserves we have, putting our core beliefs and sense of well being to the test. Key questions arise: Can we do it? Is everything about stuff or about our quality of life? Are we using our skills for the best opportunities or just staying busy? I recently traveled with fifty fourth graders to our state capitol and watched as they toured historic areas and packed a wagon, dipped candles, baked bread, and discussed pioneers surviving the elements on…
Let Resilience Arise Guest Blog Posts Series
Thorn & Vine Guest Blog Posts Thorn & Vine blog encourages teens, tweens, and adults in life. Designed for those who’ve encountered a serious bump in the road, the blog posts are on two separate pages and tailored for each audience. In the Let Resilience Arise series (#letresiliencearise), guest blog posts will feature authors and people with uplifting stories. Although it is an opportunity to showcase your writing and work, it’s also a special corner, and a safe place for those who hope to thrive after a difficult season. Would your story or a specific event you’ve endured help another…
Tools and Treasures For A Great New Year
Thorn & Vine blog features three key areas to ramp-up your new year dreams and reenergize your family during this first quarter of 2017. Life 101 has tips for living well and intentionally with your choices and planning. Life Stories dives deep with books and inspiring stories of resilience. And in A Beautiful Life, you’ll find places and items to dazzle and delight your hunt for simple joys in life. Life 101 I’ve turned to some home remedies for help this fall and winter, both with health and outlook. From simplifying our household using time and money-saving processes, to dealing…
Let Your Creativity Take Flight with Actress Wendy Speake
Have you ever felt like the edges of your dreams—the ones where you’re a creative, lovely person writing, painting, drawing, or sewing—had slipped so far from your grasp as a wife and mother that you wondered whether you could really find them again? I have. After a summer of travel to launch the blog and for my writing projects, things were, well, a bit crispy on the fringes. I missed the simple joys of cooking a dinner and laying a table with pretty flowers and candles. And then I got to sit with Wendy Speake. She is part of a…
Resources for Bullying and Healthy Friendships
People often ask me what resources we used to teach our kids about friendship and healthy boundaries. In honor of National Anti-Bullying Month, I’ve listed my top three favorites below. What do you use? I’d love to hear it too. Recognize their strengths and plan to enhance them In addition to protecting your child, find ways to encourage their unique traits. One of my favorite books, Five Love Languages for Children, by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, (there’s also one for teens) helps you diagnose what your child’s way of feeling loved is and what actions or words will help…
A Frenemy or Bullying? Helping Kids Understand The Difference
Helping Your Child Understand Bullying vs. Friendship For Young Ones Especially “Mommy, so friends are nice one minute, and then mean the next one? Is that how it works?” My young four-year-old son asked me, watery eyes intensely looking for answers. I was so caught off-guard by his question, several years back, but his look is seared in my memory. It took months to understand that the mean child had formed a little “gang” of sorts, taunting him about everything from his sandwiches to his fun new light-up shoes. He stopped eating well and had dark circles under his eyes….
Situational Forgiveness and Podcast with Rev. Misty Tyme
As a survivor of losing every possession and our home in a wildfire, I sometimes get to share my story with others who have a special heart for helping hurting families. Recently I was asked to share some insights about situational forgiveness by Rev. Misty Tyme on her podcast. (Link here: Situational Forgiveness). We hit all the biggies, what it was like to evacuate, and how to find a path for forgiveness for self, others, and even God in the midst of stark tragedy. I was very open about how people treated us, both good and bad, and how we…
Bubbles of Childhood Joy
I walked to school to get my boys at the end of a busy day, and in front of me a young girl skipped down the sidewalk. Then she returned close to her Daddy’s side, never going too far ahead. First she squeezed her Daddy’s hand, then she looked at him, tall above, and decided she couldn’t give up holding his hand. Yet, I could see her dancing a bit, and perhaps she wanted to skip once more. Dad wasn’t into skipping so she just took smaller steps, bouncing up and down while beaming a large smile up to her…
Recent Comments