Robbed. We'd been robbed. Or at least that's what it felt like to me. Our Virginia house had been on the market for longer than it should have been and we'd had no offers. Then, finally one came and the buyer wanted all my curtains and the appliances in our basement kitchen. The listing had clearly said these didn't convey. I had plans for those draperies in my new house, my Colorado house. And in my heart I'd already given those appliances to a family who needed them. She couldn't have them. What was the most irritating was she wanted the wrought-iron bench in my front yard. The bench was a gift in remembrance of my dad. That sent me over the edge. I dug my heels in. I didn't want to budge. 

It is silly really, but it was my reality and feelings aren't always reasonable. The pending cross country move and looming uprooting from family and friends was already so painful. Now this, this was taking even more from me. I was grieving, losing a big piece of myself in...

When I lost my job, it was devastating on us. 60% of my family’s income just disappeared. POOF! It was the biggest trial my life, my marriage and my family had ever faced. Maybe for you it wasn’t a job loss, maybe it was something else. We are all hit by circumstances that send us into a tailspin.  You can get control back. You can bring order to the chaos. And you are already equipped to do it. 

Hebrews 13:21 says “God has equipped us with everything we need. Your trial did not surprise God, and mine didn’t either. He has already equipped us with what we need to win. Scripture says 3x he trains my hands for battle. How encouraging. God not only saw this coming, he made sure we were ready.

How are we ready? Here's how.  

In Ephesians (6:16) Paul tells us to, “take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Whatever the enemy fires at us can...

I can get all mouthy to my circumstances. How about you?  

Thursday. Thursday is a big day. Thursday answers THE question. The question that sounds like fingers down a chalkboard, “what’s for dinner?” The question that heaps guilt, and shame, and downright nags when after a long day at work I realize: I need to feed my people.

Thursday brings freedom. Thursday is the day a blue box shows up and puts dinner FOR THE NEXT FOUR DAYS on the porch. Thursday is the day this working mama delegates her shopping to an apron app on her phone and puts a checkmark on her to-do list. Thursday is the day she keeps in control of her chaotic schedule.

Thursday also brings deliverance. Thursday is the day the voices saying, “I am not a good enough mom” are liars. Thursday is the day I’m reminded of the truth that I am a good mom, I am enough, I’ve got it together and I’m doing just fine. And it’s ok if working full time and putting food on the table using a food delivery service is what this season of...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, not because of all the food, but because it's a time of year we put a dedicated focus on being grateful. What if we embraced gratitude year-round, what would it look like.

This week I shared a Facebook Live on how to be grateful by giving others words of affirmation. Check it out: Expressing Gratitude

To jump start your thinking I’ve composed a list of Ten Ways to Be Grateful Year-round.

1. Journal it - Keep a thankfulness journal and aim to write 10 things you’re grateful for each day. I learned this from Ann Voscamp’s 1000 Gifts as she shares her journey of how this simple journal changed her entire outlook on life.
2. Share it - Go around the table during meal times each sharing something their thankful for that day.
3. Store it - Write each of your blessings on a slip of paper, put it in a “blessing” jar, pull them out and read them each Thanksgiving. Continue to add year after year.
4. See it - Design a calendar...

I remember meeting a colleague for lunch, “I’ve got to get out of here, I’m suffocating” I said through desperate tears. “The environment is sucking the life out of me.” Workplace drama and an unhealthy environment had taken it’s toll. 

There have been a few times in my life where I was in toxic environments, both personally and professionally. Whether it was roommates, colleagues or bosses the environment was emotionally draining. Author Dr Swenson says “To be healthy, we require margin in …emotional energy,” for “when we are emotionally resilient, we can confront our problems with a sense of hope and power. When our emotional reserves are depleted, however, we are seriously weakened.” Have you ever felt seriously weakened? Depleted emotionally?

There’s hope, here are 5 Ways to Get Emotional Margin*:

Envision a better future: Imagining life better in the future is a huge key to making it reality....

Earlier this week I shared a FaceBook Live on getting more rest. And as a follow up I wanted to put together a list of things to do to make it happen.

As I looked back over the past two month I realized I spent a lot of time in rest, forced rest. In August, I began creating my online classes and I worked much more than normal. So, it should not have come to a surprise that I needed more rest. And this month I overdid it again, this time with packing in so many fun activities I didn’t rest. Once I realized it I got intentional and I took a moment to get fully present with myself to reflect on where I needed self-care. And I realized I needed rest.

Conventional advice will tell you to get more rest you will just need to get to bed at a decent hour. "I know, I know.” We say and we don’t do it. This is something that we all know to do and it is harder than it sounds. But often we lay there and can’t sleep so getting more rest when we’re staring at the...

Earlier this week I shared a FaceBook Live on 3 things you need to know before sharing anything with anyone. If you missed it you can catch it here. And I realized some people may need help deciding WHO is trustworthy. How do you tell if you can trust someone?

Here are 20 Questions To Consider;

1. Can they keep secrets or do they gossip or share secrets of others? Are they trustworthy or Do they gossip or share secrets of others? - My grandmother was like Fort Knox, you could tell her something and she would lock it away and not open the vault for anyone. No pushing or prodding could get grandma to share anything.
2. Are they biased or judgmental? Do they judge you or your choices?
3. Do they respect your boundaries? Or do they push back on the limits you place on them (financially, time, information)?
4. Are they positive or negative?
5. Do they have integrity? Does their “yes” mean “yes” and their “no” mean “no” or do they waffle...

It has been a tragic season. Between the hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to the mass murder in Las Vegas, I am grieved. And I’m sure you are too. As I spoke with several people they all shared a longing to respond but not knowing how. So today, I’m going to share 5 ways we can respond in tragedy:

1) Prayer. As the devastation of each event began to unfold on the news I didn’t have words. My heart just sank and in a deep tearful exhale I said “Dear God!” Or “Lord, have mercy!" We often think we have to have more words than this and if you can muster them, great. If like me you are so stunned that words escape you a guttural plea to our Heavenly Father is a place to start.

2) Support. Without even thinking all the people I know who live in (or were visiting) the epi-centers began to come to mind. Perhaps it did to you too. I immediately grabbed my phone and reached out to each one, trying to find out if...

A recent study found that 14%  of people get overwhelmed by circumstances out of their control. And I'm raising my hand. ME ME ME!

Last Tuesday was a day of circumstances I could not control. And this lack of control definitely impacted my feelings. I began to sense frustration and impatience rising.

We were trying to get to a weeknight concert on time and nothing went right. My husband couldn't leave the office as early as he had hoped. Traffic was backed up. And the directions Google gave us were wrong causing us to drive 20 miles out of the way, only to turn around and come back.  

Meanwhile, the parking lots at the venue were filling up and we were destined for this grassy overflow area about a mile away. It seemed like that which we had planned for months before was more of a last minute afterthought. Things were not going the way I'd hoped. AT ALL.

As I felt these feelings of frustration and impatience rose an inner voice...