Last week didn’t go exactly as I planned. This week isn’t going exactly as I planned, either. My husband, 17-year-old daughter, Christa, and I traveled to Washington, DC last Friday so Christa could compete in a volleyball tournament with her club team. We started off the trip by showing up at the Denver airport — only to find out that …
In Others’ Words: Decide What It’s About
Perspective changes everything. As my husband and I wandered through a local park early one morning before my daughter’s day-long volleyball tournament, I paused in front of this wire bench. The surrounding trellises were mostly bare. What few leaves remained were brittle and brown. The landscape was awash in grays and browns. And it had its own certain beauty. …
In Others’ Words: My One Word for 2018
Let’s talk about choosing One Word for the coming year. 2018 is just over a month away, but if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, then you know that I gave up New Year’s resolutions over a decade ago. Why? All those good intentions — the “I wills” and the “I won’ts” — faded so quickly, and …
In Others’ Words: Holding Back the Flood of Fear
Fear was a constant companion of mine last week. It was as if a predator stalked the edges of my life for days. I was unsettled. Unable to sleep. Unable to focus. My prayers seemed pathetic … disjointed … to no avail. I went to bed each night determined to be braver when I woke up, only to find myself battling …
In Others’ Words: The Lesson in the Waiting
I came across this quote while reading a book by author Robin Jones Gunn last week. Yes, I underlined it, thinking, “This will be a great quote for a future blog post.” Today’s the day. We’ve all waited for something … counted out the seconds, minutes, hours … days, weeks, months … and rejoiced when the waiting was over and …
In Others’ Words: The End and the Beginning
If we can search and find the beginning hidden in the ending … well then, the ending isn’t quite so painful. I’m facing an ending right now — an “everything is finished” kind of moment. God was gracious enough to give me a head’s up about it months ago, so I wasn’t caught off guard by it. But still, there …
In Others’ Words: The God of Hope
My understanding of God has changed through the years, but one thing hasn’t changed: I know that God is a God of hope. Do I get discouraged at times? Yes. Do I struggle against God’s plan — sometimes when it’s clear and sometimes when it’s not? Yes. Do I sometimes call myself “Oh-me-of-little-faith”? Yes. But all that stuff about me …
In Others’ Words: Trusting God Whether You Fall or Fly
Trusting God has been a major theme in my family’s life this year. I know we’re not the only people choosing to trust God as we face challenges. Some of you — dare I say all of you — could share “do I trust God or don’t I trust God?” moments. My daughter CJ chose the word “trust” as her One …
In Others’ Words: What It All Comes Down To
I don’t have a whole lot to say today. Wednesday was a long day. A difficult day. A discouraging day. Have you ever fought for something … or rather fought against something that is wrong? I mean written down in black and white wrong? And you aren’t heard? The wrong-ness of it all continues? And it just doesn’t make sense. …
In Others’ Words: Choosing Something Other Than Difficulties
Didn’t I just post about difficulties last week? Yes, yes, I did. The return to the theme of difficulties was unpremeditated today. I was flipping through a new book of quotes — a combo coloring book and quote book, no less — and discovered this one by Stephen Hawking. I like the quote for it’s brevity. I like it for the hope …