America needs a break and I do too. My husband, Chris, is stressing over his mounting college assignments, and my homeschool children are wanting to start their Christmas break a month early. I have forgotten several important things this week, including a meeting, and I feel like I have accomplished almost nothing for the last two weeks. Thanksgiving is only a week away and Christmas is a little more than a month away. My holiday to-do list is becoming unmanageable, I am exhausted, and my extended family is in crisis mode. I don’t know about you, but I am experiencing READ MORE
A Fresh Set of Eyes
Marriage can be tough, especially when you have a rocky past. My husband, Chris, and I have been married for 22 years and involved in each others’ lives for over 25 years. We have experienced amazing highs and devastating lows, but we have stuck together through it all. The first several years of our marriage were incredibly painful for both of us. Chris was secretly battling a war with addictions, withdrawal, isolation, depression, and anger due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As a result, he made some very poor choices that almost ended our marriage. I was devastated. It READ MORE
Know Your Tribe
For the last year or so, I have been taking a close look at my personal relationships. I have examined their benefits vs. drawbacks, successes vs. failures, and costs vs. returns. I looked at why I entered the relationships, why I remained in them, and if I could afford to maintain them. As I did some serious soul searching, I realized that although each connection is adding a measure of value to my life, even challenging ones, I am limited in time, energy, and resources. My priorities are my relationship with God, then my family, and then everything else. The READ MORE
I Need My GPS
I have a confession to make; I have a poor sense of direction. Even if I have driven to a location half a dozen times, I still stand a chance of getting lost. Street names and landmarks do help me find some locations, but they do not guarantee I will get there without a few neighborhood or countryside detours. Years ago, I kept a map stashed in my car, just so I did not have to call my husband, Chris, for directions. Unfortunately for me, maps only help when you know your current location, which I seldom knew. About 20 READ MORE
The Problem Is Us
I had a serious internal debate concerning what to write about for this week’s blog post. Should I talk about the topic we are all sick of hearing about, the presidential race, or should I choose a “safer” piece? Tonight, I am throwing caution to the wind. If you are offended, I hope you take the time to ask yourself why and to examine if there is any truth to what I am presenting. It is not my intent to force my opinion on you, or offend you, but to give you something to consider. Don’t worry, I will not READ MORE