My friend, Rachel, chooses joy. It’s just one of the many things I like about her — how she has determined in her heart to be all about J-O-Y! So now, whenever I see the word “joy,” I instantly translate that into the word “Rachel.” Words are so powerful … what we set our minds on … what we speak …
In Others’ Words: When God Shows Up
How has God showed up for you? Last night Jerri Marr spoke at the church my family attends. Who is Jerri Marr, you ask? She’s a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service and more importantly to thousands of people in Colorado Springs this past summer, Jerri was the voice of calm and hope during the Waldo Canyon Fire. She talked briefly …
In Others’ Words: Alive
I am astounded by people who can take a massive block of packed snow and turn it into an “I gotta take a picture of this!” work of art. Me and snow? The relationship is limited to enjoying watching it fall from the warmth of my home or being the photographer when my husband and youngest daughter build a snowman. …
In Others’ Words: Running
My husband Rob often says that you should never run from something, but rather you should always be running to something. There’s wisdom in that exhortation. And yet, the reality is, there are times that the best thing I could do was run as fast as I could away from something. Like the time I ran from the temptation of …
In Others’ Word: Being You
I’m not a woodworker — too afraid of a table saw for that kind of endeavor. Even so, I know that wood has a grain to it. Go against a piece of wood’s natural grain and guess what happens … The wood tears. There have been seasons in my life when I lived against the grain. Circumstances pressured me to act a …
In Others’ Words: Direction
Seems everyone’s talking resolutions and words . . . hopes and dreams for the new year. I relish hearing about other people’s desires for the next 12 months. Meanwhile, I hung up my “Confidence” quote near my desk and positioned the “Confidence” ornament my friend Shari gave me from the rear view mirror of my Subaru Forester. Yes, that’s one …
In Others’ Words: Begin
Happy 2013, friends! I’ve missed our conversations. We’re two days into the new year. I have plans for today … and for this year. Based on your Facebook statuses, your emails, your Instant Messages, y’all have plans too. I’m wise enough to know my plans will be interrupted. Let’s see if I’m also wise enough to embrace the interruptions, adapt …
In Others’ Words: Perseverance
It has been an interesting week. I could share all the details, but trust on me on this: It has been an interesting week. Now “interesting” is a vague word, I know. Do I mean interesting-bad or interesting-good? Well, yes. Yes, I do. One of the interesting events of the week was getting this blog up and running again. For …
In Others’ Words: Writing Road
Just having a bit of fun here today. I read this quote and thought: Where else does writing lead to? Writing leads to … late nights and little sleep. Writing leads to … the red pen. (I’m an editor. What did you expect?) Writing leads to … a serious break with reality sometimes. (The voices in my head are talking …
In Others’ Words: Hope and Having
I almost didn’t post this quote today. I couldn’t decide if I liked or not. If I agreed with it or not. And then, while I was talking with my husband about what Epicurus meant, I distilled the quote down to one word: Now. Good ol’ Epicurus was reminding people to live in the now — not wasting today by …