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Holding On To Hope
The week of Christmas is here. It may seem weird to you, but being in the middle of a pandemic makes this Christmas that much more special. Do not get me wrong. It is devastating that so many families have lost loved ones due to COVID-19. People have been unemployed or underemployed. Our Christmas traditions have had to change. And yet, the Christmas story has brought me hope and comfort. Just think about it. Newborn babies are irresistible. Innocent. Fragile. With their whole lives ahead of them. Even the toughest people generally have a soft spot for babies. And Jesus was no typical baby. His arrival on the scene was…
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David and Goliath
These kids are on another level here lately. I suppose they have no clue that Santa is supposed to be coming to town soon or whatever. Or maybe they do know, but they just don’t care. Either way, they have been up to all kinds of shenanigans. I entered a classroom to pick up one of my sweet friends for therapy. As I was checking my kid out on the computer, a motion in my peripheral vision made me stop what I was doing. Two kids were playing with blocks. Nothing unusual about that. One of them was much smaller than the other one. Although there were blocks all around,…
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It Is Time To Reoccupy
Has anyone noticed that I have not recapped our Wednesday night Refresh Bible study in a while? I did not recap the month of November because Bible Study Brother was holding down the fort for me. Then when December arrived, a new series popped up on Wednesday nights- What He Said, What I Heard. We get to see clips from the previous Sunday’s sermon and members share what they took away from the clips. It is always refreshing to hear what others got out of the sermon. It moves the sermon from the pulpit and into people’s everyday lives, and I am here for all of that. Last night’s Refresh…
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Building Blocks
It’s another day’s journey, and I am glad about it. Ya’ll today was one of those days. My last little friend of the day had quite the attitude. He pointed to the blocks. He screamed “blocks” out loud. He cheered when I pulled the blocks out and unzipped the bag. Then when I asked if he wanted to play with blocks, he quickly responded “no.” But then yelled and screamed in protest when I moved to put the blocks back. Now, that may seem a little strange to you, but I was prepared for his response. It is not that my friend cannot say yes. He does it quite readily. …
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Make Me Over
I love makeup. I mean…I do not wear it often, but I enjoy playing with it. When I was a kid, I COULD NOT wait to be able to start wearing makeup. Interestingly enough, I did not grow up in a family that wore makeup. Bible Study Mama lived au naturel. Minimal fuss and muss. So, my desires were a foreign concept to her. Maybe I was drawn to makeup because I love glitter, sparkle, and glamour. Maybe my creative side just wants to be able to blend. Whatever the pull, I was a huge fan. Since Bible Study Mama is not into makeup, she set some parameters. First, makeup…
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Celebrating Progress
The Rise Up campaign has taken us on a journey. I have certainly been challenged along the way to change my thinking and my habits. I have been pushed to go farther and dig deeper. It’s time out for surface Christianity. If we have been attentive over the last eleven weeks, we have reason to celebrate our progress. The children of Israel have a reason to celebrate as well. It is sermon recap time. Nehemiah 12 sets the scene for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. Although the work on the wall was finished by the time chapter 7 begins, they still had not had a dedication ceremony. Why…
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One Step At A Time
I have been so guilty of wishing my life away. On Mondays, I am ready for Friday. When I start a long drive, I am ready to reach my destination. And when I am hungry and no food is on hand, I am counting the seconds until I can get my fill. But here lately, I have come to realize that I need to slow down and appreciate each moment as it comes. That is a tall order for me. It is much easier said than done. I have lists and goals and calendars and ideas. I am a woman on a mission. A woman of purpose. No time for…
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The Buddy System
Being a Girl Scout taught me lots of life lessons and principles that I carry with me to this day. The great thing about the lessons is that they were not always obvious. Or even lessons that we were sat down and given. No, the lessons were demonstrated through actions as well as being discussed. One lesson that did not really hit me until today was the buddy system. My Girl Scout troop traveled quite often. Whether it was camping or our annual summer vacations that were partially funded by our cookie sales, we were always on the road. Traveling around with a large group of preteen and teenage girls…
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Passion
What are you passionate about? Maybe a TV show or your favorite singing group. Maybe it is sports, and you have the lineup for every professional game on your schedule. It might even be your career. You are a workaholic and cannot rest until the job is finished. No matter what you are passionate about, I am sure that you are well informed on the subject. You take time to discover new things about your object of interest. If there is a back story, you are well versed in the topic. The subject of passion came up the other day, and I had to take a look at myself. A…
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Wheels Up!
Happy Anniversary to me! One year ago today, I boarded a plane to Utah. Very nervous, but desperate. And I was so desperate that I was flying across the country to spend four days in the mountains of Utah with strangers. No cell phone reception. Just time alone with my thoughts and this group of unknown people. I heard about the Haven retreat when I attended a women’s conference last October. There was a lady there who was selling Younique makeup. When it was time to introduce herself, she went from talking about the makeup to talking about being an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She went on to…
