If someone were to ask you ‘what brings you joy?’, what would you think of? Your wedding day? The birth of your children? Buying a new house? For most people, these milestone moments come to mind right away. While these are certainly joyful moments, they are not true joy. Joy is found in contentment. Do…
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L.E.N.T.
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday which begins the Lenten season. We are blessed with the opportunity to celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice for us at Easter. But how can we also be more sacrificial? How can we put God first in our lives? We can start with practicing L.E.N.T. L – Listen to what God says through His…
Up in Smoke
It seems a lot of the events in my life this week have involved smoke: I gathered friends around a bonfire to celebrate a dear friend’s retirement as we ceremonially burned the scrubs she had acquired over her decades as a nurse; I devoured delicious fall-off-the-bone BBQ after it had smoked overnight in a pit;…
Be a duck!
When I was a teenager, my dad gave me some great advice: “When you’re having a hard time, you’ve got to be a duck. Ducks are calm and cool as they float across the water, but underneath they are kicking like crazy!” I’ve thought of that advice over the years and developed a new appreciation…
Choosing Contentment
Almost every morning I wake up early, grab a cup of coffee and my journal, and sit in my favorite chair for my quiet time. Before long, I see the sky turn beautiful shades of pink, purple, and orange peeking through the tree line of my backyard. I think to myself how blessed I am…
Not dead yet…
We are in the middle of several things… the middle of January; the middle of the winter season; and the middle space between Christmas and Easter (holiday wasteland). This is the time of year when things can feel kind of bleak. The colorful leaves have fallen and blown away and the busyness of the holiday…
A God-filled Year
2025 was full of joy and hardship! I personally walked through several difficult seasons that hurt my heart and tested my faith, did you? While the mountaintop moments are always amazing, I feel I spent most of my time in the valleys. Thankfully, that’s where God seems to grow us the most. While packing up…
Creating margin
I heard an interesting sermon the other day that I’ve been marinating on. The lesson was on discerning how to spend your time. I immediately thought of the concept of deciding the best use of your time and following through with what you say you’ll do. That’s a timely message for the beginning of the…
Following the recipe
Many of us baked our favorite recipes for family and friends this holiday season. Or perhaps you were on the receiving end of some of your favorite homemade treats. These time-tested dishes and desserts have earned their place in our family traditions and come out perfectly every time… until they don’t. My family gathered for…
Christmas Oyster Stew
I stood wide-eyed in front of the Christmas tree. It towered over my seven-year-old frame and twinkled like a thousand tiny stars. Handmade ornaments and bright shiny balls adorned the tree, but my attention was fixed on what lay beneath it – Christmas presents! It was a tradition in my family to open our presents…