Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “In Others’ Words”
Two words stand out to me in Henri Nouwen’s quote: discipline and gratitude. Nouwen reminds us that gratitude is a discipline — that it takes effort to be thankful. And knowing how easily I can fall into counting my “lack of” rather than counting all the ways my life is filled to overflowing with so much more goodness than I ever …
This quote encompasses two life-changers for me: other people and gratitude. If I tried to list all the people who have rekindled my spark when it has gone out … well, this would be the never-ending blog post — and I’m certain I would still forget someone. People have prayed for me, shared hugs at just the right moment, spoken …
It’s been a year of deadlines for me … going from one deadline to the next to the next … and repeat, repeat, repeat. Add in the non-writing parts of life and there’s not been a lot of “doing nothing” in 2014. I often find those quiet moments of “nothing” in the middle of the night when I’m awake and everyone …
Most of my days start with a good 3 1/2 mile walk with my friend Mary. We walk and talk — and we look for “a little bit of pretty,” as we’ve come to call it. It all started when we noticed a wooden bench in a yard we were walking past — a little bit of pretty, even though …
I used to handle difficulties this way: I’d lay awake at night and think Just give me a minute. I’ll figure this out. I wasn’t praying — I was plotting. I wasn’t asking God for help because I was going to fix whatever was broken — a plan, a relationship, a dream — all by myself. I’m older now and yes, …
There were a lot of names being tossed around my house last weekend. Not bad names — baby names. My daughter and son-in-love just found out they’re having a second daughter and, of course, it’s time to start the process of “What do think of ______”? All sorts of names were offered and some suggestions were even added to their list …
Ah, the lure of the extraordinary moments. When life is more than fine … beyond the best that I can imagine … lit up like a 4th of July sparkler. Yes, I’m grateful for those moments. And then there are the moments where life is … good. When there are no dirty dishes in my sink because my husband, bless …
There are days when my emotions ambush me. I’m going through my day, doing what needs to be done. Not necessarily seizing the day, but making things happen. Feeling good. Satisfied, you know? And then suddenly I realize my emotions are all out of whack and I can’t even tell you why. At that moment, if I had to name …
You may not be ready to think about the 2015 yet, but I’ve been thinking about the upcoming new year since August. Yes, yes, I have. Those of you who’ve hung around this blog long enough know I don’t do resolutions — rather, I focus on one word for an entire year. Well, this year I realized what next year’s …
Ah yes, laughter is often the best medicine. But there is often truth hidden in our laughter. The things we laugh at? Those very things reflect a bit of reality back at us: that life is full of comical things — like a silly pair of sunglasses on a tired-out pooch. Or a silly pair of sunglasses on tired ol’ …
