Category: Balanced Living

He helped me bake the pies

He helped me bake the pies

I have a hard time asking for help. It’s not that I have some kind of super-hero complex or want to be a martyr. In fact, I really do wish I had more help most of the time. But things tend to fall into one of the following categories: 1. I signed-up to do/make/bring/coordinate/facilitate/write/teach the thing and therefore I feel like it’s my responsibility to follow through. 2. The amount of time it would take to explain how to help

Choose obedience, choose joy

Choose obedience, choose joy

I don’t really do resolutions…I tend to be a pretty goal-oriented person to begin with and have no problem setting goals throughout the year. But the last few years I have selected a word or phrase to kind of be my mantra for the year. Something I need to work on or want to strive for. In 2018 it was “Qualified” and I spent the year working to believe that it was God who did the qualifying and whatever He

Not everyone likes me, and that’s OK

girls laughing

“I don’t think she likes me,” my daughter stated matter-of-factly.  It was the third time that week she’d made a similar statement, each time about someone different.  “Why would you say that?” I asked, yet again. And before she even finished her answer I was formulating my rebuttal. Because for some reason I feel like I have to disagree with my daughter whenever she declares someone doesn’t like her. I have to try to find a reason that person may

Thirty-one days of seeking peace – A free gift for you

Bible

Most of my life I have believed that peace was something that happened based on circumstances. I thought that while I could try to create peace by eliminating unnecessary stress, noise, or chaos, more often than not, peace was something that was the result of (or not the result of) things outside of my control. But after studying Galatians 5 earlier this year, I started to discover a different view of peace. Galatians 5:16-25 tells us peace is a fruit

Maybe it's time

Maybe it's time

In a few days I will have another birthday. I will take one step further into middle age. I will leave the year of 40 and enter the year of 41. Birthdays aren’t really that big of deal any more, although I confess at one time they were. You reach a certain point where it all just seems silly, and big celebrations become needless. As long as I get my black forest cake from my favorite baker, I’m good. But

The failure of trying to be everyone's person

The failure of trying to be everyone's person

I’m going through a phase right now where I feel like I’m constantly failing. I say it’s a phase for two reasons: 1. I’ve been in this place before, and 2. I trust God to never let me stay here for too long. The problem really isn’t so much about failure to accomplish goals or tasks (although there is an element of that). The problem lies in my desire to be everyone’s person. The mom who shows up for every

Are your core values what's driving you?

2018 Goals in Notebook with a Pen

I clicked the button to confirm my account and the first question popped up: “What are your core values?” And I had to stop and think. I wasn’t expecting such a deep question from an app. I was working in my new goal tracking app, Lifetick, and thinking I would just enter in my goals for 2018 and a set a few deadlines and notifications and be done with it. But before I could do that, this app wanted to

90 Days of Thanks and Giving

90 Days of Thanks and Giving

I believe there are two things in this world that can improve our attitude, inspire hope, create unity, and spread love more than anything else, and I’m challenging myself to be more intentional about both. They are genuine gratitude and generous giving. A few years ago I was inspired by a colleague to do a “100 Happy Days” challenge. What at first seemed like a fun exercise to focus on my blessings, turned into a real lesson on the power

Do I have any regrets?

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/

Forty will be here in a few days. Something happens when you start approaching a milestone birthday like this one. You spend a lot of time in quiet introspection, contemplating where you’ve been and where you’re headed. True, it happens at other times, too. But as I conclude the final days of my 30’s I’ve been feeling a surge of what I can only describe as equal parts nostalgic joy and quiet anticipation. I take great pleasure in sentimental remembrance of all