"Why?" I thrust my hands upward and wailed to the ceiling. "Why does it have to be so HARD?" The alleged two-step cabinet refinishing project had taken five steps and as many days. Bruised, blistered, and sore, I teetered on the edge of the countertop in an effort to replace the…
We moved last week. When other people move, change jobs, add to their family, etc, the shift seems inconsequential. Until it happens to you. Over the past week, I realized that heaving a tough load over an uneven threshold offers a very different perspective than watching someone else do it. Physical,…
Have you ever struggled with transitions and stress? If shifts in life wrack you off balance, you're not alone. Moving from known to unfamiliar challenges us all. Discomfort in times of transition is a normal part of the human experience. We're wired to enjoy our security and feel apprehensive when circumstances…
Summer's bloom wilts on the branch-like weeks of our calendar. In the next breath, the season of respite will drift away and wither in the breeze of time. With heavy sighs, we face the next pages of our year. School and work routines loom before us. The angry, red eyes of…
At a women's event in Orlando one year, I unloaded an armful of books onto the author's signing table. "These will be my medicine cabinet. I share inspiring books with people who need a dose of joy." Humor conveys scientifically proven health properties. I often recommend laughter to alleviate stress and anxiety,…
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared" (Exodus 23:20). I wiggled on the plastic seat and squinted toward the floor of the expo hall. Four hundred fifty-four square black caps huddled into rows…
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Refugees abandon homes in pursuit of it. Defendants empty bank accounts to negotiate it. Acquisition offers empty promises of it. Anesthesia poisons the flesh with temporary illusions of it. A mother of…
"Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. . . Because of the increase of wickedness, the love…
"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground. Because of Your name, Yahweh, let me live." -- Psalm 143:10-11 September clung to the calendar by less than a week. I still hadn't enjoyed my autumnal pumpkin spice latte. My…