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wife, mom, coach, & entrepreneur
Filtering by Tag: family
Last week my daughter, Celina, worked on a hand-written letter (with a colored picture) to the two ladies who serve lunch at her school. It was kind and sweet. She thanked them for fixing the food and also mentioned some of her favorites. I didn't think much about the note because every once in a while she will write a note to her teacher.
Read MoreWe will never be perfect, but in order to live the extraordinary life, we must become more and more like Jesus. Let’s say I want to live an extraordinary life by becoming a better mom . . .
Read MoreTuesday, January 19, at 10:20am my beautiful daughter Bethany was scheduled to get her braces off. She is about one month shy of having had her braces for 18 months. This process was much quicker than anticipated, but getting them off was still very exciting. Bethany has been counting down the days since her December appointment, when Dr. Schultz told her the thrilling news:
Read MoreImagine with me for a minute what it would be like to tell your children (or your spouse, boss, or co-workers) "yes" in response to all of their questions today. And beyond the "yes" words, actually allowing the answer to be yes and permission to be fully given for what they requested. The first time I was presented with this thought, my kids were young . . .
Read More“Tears are words that need to be written.” -Paulo Coelho I believe I shed more tears in 2015 than I have in my entire life combined. I often put those tears into words - prayers and cries to God, conversations with family and friends, conversations with people I barely knew, and in the pages of my journal. A few times I expressed my words through this blog, but more often I couldn't find the words to express the heart-felt tears that frequently flowed. 2015 was tough.
Read MoreIt is the first day of school in our new little town. I just returned from dropping the kids off at their new schools, with new teachers, and soon-to-be new friends. Leaving the car one by one were three kids with three very different perspectives on the day. One absolutely loves school and is a total optimist when it comes to school and learning. She set out full of massive amounts of nervous, excited energy. I have no doubt that she has already made a friend and told her teacher everything about the latest book she is reading.
The other two have different battles to face. One in middle school, one in high school, and both full of hormones and unpredictable emotions. They have real concerns about how they look, who they'll eat lunch with, and if they'll remember where their classes are.
Read MoreThe healing journey is not complete after 2819 miles, but it sure is a great start. Last Friday we began a three week trip that takes us from Traverse City to Flint, MI to Salem OR, to Seattle, back to Salem, and finally back to Northern Michigan. The purpose of this trip is multi-faceted:
Read MoreThis past week has been incredibly full. Full of packing, cleaning, sorting, storing, remembering, laughing, crying, and saying farewell. We are now fully in transition. Yesterday we drove with the kids through the camp property sharing memories of our two years (exactly 2 years!) in this place. We enjoyed so many new experiences, met amazing people, built lasting friendships, and lived deeply. We held nothing back and we have no regrets. Finally, we walked through our empty house then huddled in the living room for a tearful prayer of gratitude.
Read More"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Said no one ever! Ok, I said those words in elementary school and heard others say those words in a singsongy voice, but I know those words are not true. Words are so powerful! Words are capable of tearing people down and they also have the power to lift, encourage, and build people up. I realized recently (not the first time) that it is so easy to be flippant with the words I speak to my kids.
Read MoreI have been so distracted this past week by my hurt and my pain. It resulted in being physically sick which resulted in lots of down time, lots of thinking time, and unfortunately lots of stewing and brewing time over all that transpired these past 4-8 weeks.
Read MoreHave you ever had someone witness your worse moments first-hand? Sometimes our lowest and darkest moments happen in secret, but in marriage/family relationships there is a front-row seat to the mountains and the valleys of a person's life.
Read MoreIt was just three weeks ago today that Joe headed into a meeting that would change the course and direction of our lives. At first, it sent us into a whirlwind of emotions - disbelief, hurt, anger, denial, and uncertainty. The initial sting of being "let go" from our ministry was strong and the response of friends, family, acquaintances, and God was equally as strong.
Read MoreI love my kids. I tell them I love them. I want them to grow up knowing their mom loves them - a lot! Here is a frequent conversation with my 8-year-old, Celina:
Read MoreYou are always being watched. I don't mean by the secret service or some other government agency, although they could be watching too. :) You are being watched by the people around you: your children, your parents, your Facebook friends, your community, etc. Anyone you come in contact with on a regular basis has the opportunity to watch your life and your reaction to the circumstances of your life.
Read MoreDo you like peace? Do you like your home to feel peaceful? Do you ever wish your home looked like it was taken straight out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine? You know the look . . . clean countertops, fluffed pillows neatly placed on the couches, beautiful lighting, great music, and sipping your favorite beverage while curled up reading a book in a cozy chair in the corner of the living room. This is the the look, feel, and experience of every mom in every home in America. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Read MoreI have been a little silent on the blogging front for the past few weeks. This is the first week without any new posts (I usually post twice each week), but it has been a few weeks since I have written something new. I was so proud of myself for having several weeks worth in the queue, but those disappeared quickly.
Read MoreI love gifts! Receiving gifts is fun, rewarding, enjoyable, and often filled with anticipation. Yet, even more than receiving gifts, I love giving gifts! Our whole family (and I am sure many of you) loves gift-giving. When the perfect gift is found it heightens the anticipation of that treasure to be opened. I am making some Christmas gifts this year. Each of my kids will receive a hand-made rag quilt. The fabric of each quilt was specifically chosen for each of them. It took several trips to the fabric store and a whole lot of contemplation to find things that I think they will love.
Read MorePatience. From one mom's heart to another. If I am honest, I do not always show patience to my children, even though they are so valuable to me and I love them so much. Patience shows that what my children have to say is important and worth hearing. When I am patient, I wait to hear the whole story before I begin to speak and before I formulate responses in my mind. Patience allows God's wisdom and love to catch up with my initial emotional responses. Patience affords me the space to think clearly and respond to my children's actions, attitudes, and words with love.
Read MoreThe subconscious. Inner promptings. The Holy Spirit. Women's intuition. Gut feelings. The little voice inside my head. Whatever you believe it is or whatever you choose to call it, consider how well you listen and how well you act on what you hear.
Read MoreToday's blog post, "Best.Thanksgiving. Ever.", comes to you from Danny Ray. Danny gives us a dose of perspective for Thanksgiving by taking a look at Noah's attitude and gratitude.
"Can you picture Noah’s face when he saw the first rainbow?
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