Today is day 23 of a Gratitude Challenge. When I began the challenge I felt like I was about as thankful as a person could be while still acknowledging that hurt and pain were also a part of my life. Approximately two days into the challenge I realized that I was concentrating far more on the pain and very little on gratitude. Not because I have little for which to be thankful, but because I was allowing the hurt to overshadow the multitude of blessings around me. Two weeks into the ... read more

Rest is a fitting way to end 31 days of writing. All the other words are important, and they matter, but at some point there has to be rest. Rest not just for the body, but for the mind and the soul. Rest comes in many ways. Being quiet and still can quiet the mind. Choosing to sing and listen to music can do the same. There are times when my mind and soul are renewed by crafting and creating. Taking a walk and releasing the stress of the day also gives our soul rest. When we allow our minds ... read more

The refiner's fire is hot. It has to be to burn out the impurities. They don't go away easily, those imperfections. The refiner only takes the object out of the heat to check the progress. And then into the fire it goes again. Back and forth until it finally reveals the beauty hidden behind the filth that once covered it. I know that even now I am being refined. I know that God is making me into the person He wants me to be. I wish that the ugly parts like bitterness, greedy, and ... read more

To celebrate the book launch of one of our dear friends, we gathered at a Mexican restaurant. Bailey and I sat among friends we were eager to meet and some I was thrilled to see again. The only person I didn't know was a stunningly beautiful woman at the end of the table. When she introduced herself I was in shock. I recognized her name immediately. Among our group she was a hero. She was valiantly fighting a terminal cancer diagnosis. Though I had been praying for her daily, writing my ... read more