Three Ways of Giving and Receiving Help

  I am a “people helper.”  I enjoy helping people understand how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors affect one another; I love to help them identify destructive emotional patterns. I feel excited when I can help them find the courage and grace they need to develop healthy emotional patterns.  I like to help people discover and develop […]

Just Stay Awhile

Today’s post is by my friend Crystal Holt, who’s a worship leader at New Hope Community Church. She is what Jesus (in the Gospel of John) called a “true worshiper”–one who worships him in spirit and in truth. I hope that you will listen to her gentle exhortation. While I was getting my two-year-old son, Peter, […]

When We Can’t Put the “Puzzle” Together . . .

I have two, 100-piece jigsaw puzzles that I enjoyed putting together with my grandchildren when they were younger. Alphabet ABC’s and numbers (1-10) are printed along the top and sides of each puzzle. It took only a few minutes for my husband and me to put them together, but it took much longer for our grandchildren to […]

Giving Up Our “If You Happen To” and Other Unclear Messages

“I’m going to take the sailboat out,” my husband said. “If you happen to see me, you could take a picture.” “Okay,” I said. He walked out the door and I continued ironing my shirt. Then, I paused and thought about it. If I happen to see him . . . well, I won’t happen […]

How I Stop My Crazy, Headless Chicken Behavior

I grew up on a small mid-western farm. Along with a variety of animals—beautiful Guernsey milk-cows, a mischievous goat (not a long-term resident), fat, black pigs, and for awhile, a few sheep, we raised chickens. My father took good care of all of his animals and birds, providing them with clean living quarters, under-the-blue-sky-and-sunshine spaces […]