In the wake of recent wildfires, floods, and disasters I want to encourage any of you in the midst of these tragedies, or supporting families who are affected by them. You’ve found yourself suddenly thrust into the center of a stage you never wanted to be on—one filled with sadness and hurt. Reflecting on the last ten years since we lost everything in a wildfire and also went through rough medical challenges with family, I’ve gathered some thoughts about how a similar series of losses have helped us in unusual ways. Every crumb of lessons we’ve learned has been helpful…
Through The Looking Glass of Loss and Miscarriage with Author Pam Vredevelt
I met Pam Vredevelt while filming a television segment on overcoming tragedies (HERE), and was so touched by her work with young mothers who’ve suffered a loss. After a couple of friends recently lost children, I kept thinking how difficult this Mother’s Day would be for them. Even if you have other children, sometimes the whispers of what would have been tug at your heartstrings uncontrollably. I know they did for me when we lost our baby, and it was hard to find people who could understand. But then many women started sending me emails of sympathy, sharing their own…
A friend hurts…Don’t stand by idly waiting to help
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…
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…
Seven Ways To Put More Magic In Your Life
Are mundane tasks dominating your life and stressing your outlook? Here’s seven ways to add more magic into the everyday mixture for you and your family. Light a fire – Whether it’s a candle or a fire in the fireplace, the flickering light seems to signal something special is coming. Usually it leads to more laughter at our dinner table and loosening up for the parents, too. Turn on magical music – We often listen to a station from London broadcasting amazing classical music. Not the kind that makes you snore, but the elegant, heart-lift, gaze sparkling kind….
Time To Go! Your New Start
The final part of our New Beginnings Series! Done with that! Well, sort of… When the mists of crisis finally begin to clear, how ever do you find your equilibrium and breathe new life into your dust-covered dreams? First, congratulations! You’ve made it through either a busy season in life that was a big distraction, or perhaps a complete change in lifestyle that required your full focus for a while. Whatever brought you through, take a moment to celebrate! Hearts lifted! It’s time for your gratitude to overflow. You may be more weepy and sensitive or still require a bit…
Goodbye Goodyear Blimp, Hello New Vision
Just look at this photo of the Goodyear Blimp – being retired! If the blimp community needs to keep advancing and growing by huge leaps, how could I be any different? Yet my stomach gave a little twist when I saw the title, “Goodbye Goodyear Blimp.” Immediately I remembered seeing it in the skies above stadiums or over the waters of the San Francisco Bay where I grew up. We’ve always loved glancing at it even just parked by the freeway when driving up to see the grandparents, too. I felt a little ill knowing its years of service were…
The Hidden Magic
Have you had a season of life where you felt bogged down, burdened by too many options and commitments? Look for that tinge of hidden happiness, and keep following it. There is a hidden joy that surprised me recently. It reminds me of watching a thorn-bearing rose bush come to life as the fragrant flowers suddenly unfold. I’ve been feeling nudges of creativity wanting to come to life, even in the midst of getting over a sprained ankle, and had been pushing it aside. Finally last week I started research for the next novel and I could instantly tell the…
The Lady’s Fingerprints—A Tribute to Elisabeth Elliot
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…
The Blog Machine
A Year Ago… Touched By Sticky Grace I was trailing through the grocery store with my adventurous nine-year-old son Joey and he pointed toward the blood pressure machine, loving all things with buttons. “Mom, can I please play with the blog machine?” I love when he trips on an “oops” word still. There aren’t many these days. And I smiled ear-to-ear that he even knows what a blog is. As we continued through the store, I kept thinking that less than a year ago, really nine months ago, this fun journey through blogging began for me. Then the big AHA….
Recent Comments