I don’t know about you, but there is this desire within me for things to work. If I plug in a light and flip on the switch, I want the light to turn on. If I turn on my computer, and open up an application or internet browser, I want to it to run smoothly. And when we bought our car, I put the key in the ignition and expected it to turn on. I think we can all agree: The world is better when things work. But last week, I flipped the switch in our living room and a [...]
I am not sure if it is the spring weather, or the page I am on right now, but I can’t help but feel like I am in a season of making space. Whether cleaning out cabinets in our apartment or leaving unplanned time in my schedule—I feel like I am in a place where I need to pay attention to my life and what God may be preparing me for. And though from the outside my life may seem rather simple and uncluttered, I know there are spaces that are filled with unnecessary things. So today, I am sharing [...]
Not too long ago, I saw a news report about a house that had been built on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a big, beautiful house with lots of windows to take in the incredible view. When it was built, it was probably worth millions. But do you know why it was on the news? If you saw the same story on TV, you know it is because erosion has eaten away a chunk of the cliff. A good part of the house is now literally hanging over the ocean. And no one can go inside to collect [...]
For as long as you can remember, people have probably been asking you what you are going to do with your life. They asked it when you were little and you said you were going to be a fireman (or fire-woman). It was all people asked your senior year of high school, and at your graduation party, when you told them you were going to be—a lawyer, a teacher, a photographer, etc. And now, as an “adult,” it is all people ask when you first meet them: “So, what do you do?” It is as if it is the only [...]
If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that this is our Love Learn Lead day. You also may have picked up on the fact that a lot of this blog is about loving, learning, and leading. That is because I believe those three things are how we all are called to live our lives—no matter how many people we lead, and no matter how many people we know. Whether our sphere of influence is huge or tiny, we all have an important role to play in our world. For today’s Love Learn Lead, I talk [...]
If you had sat me down eleven years ago—in the midst of some of my busiest seasons in ministry and leadership—and told me I needed to practice Self Love, I’d have brushed you off. I’d have said you were watching too much Oprah. Then, about six months later, I would have given you a call and asked for help. Perhaps it was my stout New England “suck it up, and plow through it” roots. But growing up, “Self Love” wasn’t a thing. If it was, it was looked upon as weak or self-indulgent. To my adolescent self, there were only [...]
When I was little, and my mother was very young in her faith, she went through what is commonly known in Christian circles as a legalistic phase. In our home, following Jesus became about doing what the Bible said to a “T.” It also meant throwing out anything in our home (including my Barbies), that could be of the devil. As a kid, I didn’t understand any of it, but as an adult I am beginning to see the rational. People fall into a legalistic phase when their new found relationship with Jesus is so life changing that they begin [...]
Besides wedding planning, it could be said that the first true test of marriage is moving all of your belongings into a new shared space. When we were dating, my husband Tony and I each lived in our own fully furnished one-bedroom apartments. So when we got engaged, it became clear that we were going to have to find a new, bigger place to live. Not yet ready to dive into homeownership, we went on a search for a two-bedroom apartment. After settling on a place, the fun challenge of combining our lives began. We first moved Tony in, then [...]
Part 1 can be found here. Until, out of no where, a crisis occurred or a holiday season came up, swamping any semblance of balance my life was beginning to enjoy. It was as if a cyclone blew threw my calendar for an entire month (or two). There would be late nights and early mornings. I would get up every day feeling like a zombie. I drank extra coffee, and made sure to use enough concealer to hide the circles under my eyes. I was exhausted and balance seemed like a long lost dream. Balance, felt like a destination I [...]
Deep breath. We have made it to the second week of January. The Holidays are sadly over, and we are back to our regular schedules. Only, getting back into a routine after such a busy season, can be difficult (especially, if it involves a stomach bug). In fact, I struggled with it for years until yoga taught me something important about finding and keeping a balanced life. If you’ve ever done yoga, you know there is typically a portion of every session dedicated to physical balance. For one of the more common moves, Tree, the instructor has you stand on [...]
