Dear World, What have we allowed to happen to us? When did we collectively agree that our lives could be ruled by electronic rectangles, and why did we give the virtual world so much power over the real one? Why do we allow social media alerts to take precedence over the people we're having dinner with, and why do we interrupt real-life conversations for those sent via text message? When did politeness give way to productivity, and why are special moments interrupted for selfies? What in the world have we allowed to happen to us? We've created a life where we can't fully be with the people we're with because we're so concerned about what's going on where we aren't. We've become a generation of people who find our worth in likes and comments and who can't fathom not posting every detail of our days. We've said it's acceptable to have thousands of virtual friends and few real ones and to spend more time Snapchatting our acquaintances than speaking to our families. It's insanity, world, and we can do better. We have to do better. The chemical dopamine is an interesting thing. It is released when we encounter a reward, prompting us to repeat the reward's cause. This is why...
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26.01.2017
Fighting the Fear That Holds You Back
There is a risk God has asked you to take, and there's an excuse you're giving for why you won't move ahead. What is that risk? Will you give it a name and acknowledge its existence? Less than a year ago, God told me to quit my job. He didn't speak in a booming voice, and there was no literal writing on the wall, but through a series of gut feelings and confirmations from others - including people I didn't even know - I had no doubt about what he was saying. He was saying it was time for something new. And I was scared to death. The risk he was asking me to take was to quit my job and trust him, and the excuses I gave were varied and justifiable. What about money? What about the house we just bought? What about the fact that I know absolutely nothing about the path you're pushing me down? What will people think? What about my lack of qualifications? Oh, I had a million excuses for not moving ahead, and even looking back now, they were legitimate and very pressing. But they were also rooted in fear. I knew what I was supposed to do. The wheels had been in motion for...
What a strange, complicated, divisive few days these have been. The inauguration of our new President has brought out strong emotions in virtually everyone I know, and the internet has shown me the opinions of those I've never met. I never want to contribute to the negative noise so present online, and I'm praying these words will provide hope in the midst of these times. I'm praying my words will ease the sting of words directed to you, public school teacher, and that my words will serve as a reminder that words matter, words can hurt, and though the words of others may be loud, they can still be untrue. It was said to our country that ours is "an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge." When I heard these words spoken by a very powerful man, my eyes filled with tears. A deep sadness overtook me for what you heard and what is believed about you. Then an abiding anger made me shake and made me want to shout the truth from the rooftops. Although I am not currently a teacher, I am only months removed from that sacred occupation, and I know...
20.01.2017
Friday Five – Quotes That Made Me Pause
Since I'm a word person, I love finding quotes that speak truth in just a few words. Here are some that have spoken to me recently: ...
16.01.2017
When God’s Timing Tests Your Trust
My cell phone rang, and when I glanced at the caller, immediately my heart began to pound. The illuminated screen showed the caller was the school district I had just interviewed with, so the news would be either very good or very bad. Either they wanted me or they didn't. This call would tell the tale. I needed a job, and I needed it badly. Years before, I had taught 7th grade English full-time, but when my children were born, I left work to mother them full-time. I loved every minute of being home with them, but my impending divorce and new status as a single mother demanded a paying job. And it demanded it now. I picked up the phone and squeaked out a "Hello" through my quivering voice. The principal I had just spent time with spoke, thanking me for my interest in their teaching position. Then he spoke the word "But," and I knew I wasn't their choice. He kindly explained they had chosen a candidate with more experience, and he wished me luck in the future. I managed to disconnect the call before I burst into tears. Then I wept uncontrollably. The previous eight weeks had been the most excruciating of my...
13.01.2017
Friday Five – Memes That Made Me LOL
People on the ol' internet are so clever, y'all. Whenever I see a hilarious meme, I marvel and think, "How did they come up with that?" Clearly, I don't excel in the humor department, so I just appreciate it from afar. Here are five memes that made me LOL. Literally - I chuckled audibly. And finally, my personal favorite: Gotta love them! Enjoy your weekend!...
11.01.2017
We Aren’t Preparing Our Kids to be Adults
At 36, my childhood feels like it was a zillion years ago. I remember playing in the creek with other neighborhood kids for hours at a time, heading home only when darkness enveloped the skies, and I remember the hours I spent playing with my Barbies. My childhood included lots of time outdoors, lots of time reading, and lots of fights with my sisters over the bathroom we shared. The world of the 1980s was drastically different from the world around us today, and when I compare my life then with kids' lives now, there are more differences than I can count. I can't help but wonder how different the world will be when my children are adults. If I'm honest, it scares me half to death. I don't want to look back with rose-colored glasses at my childhood and pretend the world had no problems then. Certainly it did. There were actual wars and a cold one, drugs on the streets and blatant discrimination. I remember a hurricane destroying part of my state and a space shuttle exploding before our eyes. People's lives were hard, and the problems they faced then hurt just like the problems we face now. But the world feels more complicated now, doesn't...
06.01.2017
Friday Five – Books I Want to Read
Each Friday, I'll be writing a short post sharing five (and only five!) ideas with you. Today is one of my favorite topics - books! (This post contains affiliate links, which help pay for this site and its content.) Here are five I want to read this year: Water from My Heart by Charles Martin. I just finished another of Martin's books, When Crickets Cry, and I LOVED it. I don't know how I haven't read him before! I discovered When Crickets Cry when Kindle had ebooks on sale over Christmas break. I paid just a couple of bucks for it, and I could not stop reading it. I stayed up past midnight and almost woke my husband up with my sobs. I won't ruin it in case you want to read it, but good grief. SO. GOOD. Water from My Heart has a half-star higher rating on Amazon than When Crickets Cry, so I can't wait to read it! Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. This might seem like an odd choice for me, but I love reading stories of people who been successful in their field, and I can't think of a better example...
05.01.2017
My Hopes (Not Resolutions!) for 2017
We are now a few days into the new year, and I've let the resolutions craze pass. I didn't come up with a list of 20 drastic changes I want to make in this year, and I didn't decide to overhaul my entire lifestyle in one fell swoop. I've done that in the past, and I've always ended up feeling defeated and frustrated. Instead, I'm easing into the new, praying about how I'd like to be different, and asking God to tweak me to be more useful to him. That's it. Sure, I have goals I'd love to see materialize in 2017, and certainly I have habits I want to change, but I'm not falling for the lie that 2017 must be different in every way from 2016. I'm not going to pretend that I have to be a completely different person because it's a new year. I didn't expect to wake up on January 1st and be transformed. A thought that occurred to me as the calendar changed is that while we humans place enormous significance on a new year, God is not limited by our earthly calendar. Our years are days to him, and the stroke of midnight changes nothing about him or...
03.01.2017
Kiss Your Spouse and Gross Out Your Kids
My daughter hates it when my husband kisses me. Or hugs me. Or dances with me in the kitchen. She huffs in exasperation and always tries to climb between us, saying, "No! My Mommy!" She pushes us apart, rolling her eyes, and is completely disgusted by our physical affection. We think it's hilarious. (So naturally we do it on purpose and make sure she's watching.) I hope it's always like this, with her trying to weasel her way between us as we snuggle and pretending to vomit when we kiss. I'm not sure there's much more I want her to remember from her childhood than that the adults in her house loved each other greatly. My daughter is a child of divorce, and I worry so much about how it will affect her. She was small when it happened, and she and her brother have been incredibly resilient so far. She doesn't remember much from when her dad and I were married, but she's going to remember everything about her stepdad and me. So we're doing all we can to make her memories good ones - including grossing her out when we kiss. I didn't grow up in a demonstrably affectionate family, and I want my kids to...