Can I be honest with you? (Even if you just said no, I’m not going to stop. That was the epitome of a rhetorical question.) I’m weird. If this is your first time reading this blog, you might be thinking “how so?”. If you have been around for a while, you probably picked up that gem long ago. I think differently, I process things differently, and I just AM different in lots of ways. While we are now being encouraged to celebrate differences, it is not always a second nature thing for us. Bible Study Cousin spent the early years of my adult friendship with her telling me how weird…

I can get the best insight and receive gentle reminders in the most random conversations. I was chatting with my bestie the other day. At one point the conversation drifted to uncluttering (Is that a word? If not, pretend it is.) our houses. I am the queen of holding on to things for sentimental reasons. That is the reason that I currently have 3 drawers FULL of T-shirts. Some shirts haven’t been worn in years. To be fair, some of them are too little and don’t need to be stretched beyond their capacity. Others fit but I don’t wear them. When you have that many T-shirts, it’s difficult to put…

The season is changing. Winter is giving way to spring in unpredictable weather mood swings. One day, I need my ear warmers and hoodie, and the very next day, I can wear flip flops (which I happily do). I toggle back and forth between heat and cool on the thermostat. I remember to flip my porch sign to the side that says “He is Risen” to signal the beginning of Lent.  The signs are all around that a shift is in process. The thing that sucks about the changing seasons is the uncertainty. I cannot just exit the house before checking the weather forecast. Well, I could. But doing that…

Resurrection Sunday is here. The day that we celebrate Jesus rising with all power in His hands. He has conquered death, Hell, and the grave. Death has no sting. The grave has no victory. Christ remains undefeated. And yet, I still struggle with grief and loss. Resurrection Sunday has always been a big deal in my family. We go to church and then we fellowship. We say our Easter speeches, celebrate Jesus in a mighty way, and then break bread together. Well, not just bread. Cakes, pies, macaroni and cheese, ham….. you get the picture. The kids hunt for eggs and cry when they don’t get the one with the…

I have had three whoopings in my life.  My Aunt Linda gave me one of them.  When you are as sweet as I was, they really are not necessary.  Ask my Aunt Gail.  She will tell you that I was the most well-behaved cousin in my generation.  I followed the rules.  And I also got EVERYTHING that I wanted.  No tantrums needed.  I asked.  They complied. My soul was crushed the day that Aunt Linda whooped me.  Did she not understand that I was a sweet angel?  Maybe the family hadn’t gone over the rule book with her.  But you do not whoop sweet angels.  I know she was frustrated…

Typically sleeping is my superpower. No matter what is going on in my world, my body has the ability to power down at night and sleep. And that is still true. Only now, I wake up way before the sun and just stare into the darkness. During my quiet time, I found myself getting hungry. Although I had purchased the ingredients to make my crockpot chili, I had not mustered up the energy to get into the kitchen. Well, since I was up before the sun, I decided to roll into kitchen and get my hands dirty. Keeping my hands busy was comforting. I diced, sautéed, and stirred. I tasted.…

The grandfather of all zits is currently residing between my lower lip and my chin. He staked a claim exactly at the midway point. Thankfully, I wear a mask all day at work so no one can see this guy. He is an unwanted and unexpected visitor. Well, at this point, he seems to have taken out a lease on the landscape of my face. He is kind of determined to stand his ground. Now when I was a teenager, breakouts were common. A mixture of stress, hormones, poor eating habits, and greasy bangs contributed to my dalliances in pimple town. I had to learn to lay off of the…