We all know what it means to forgive, right? I mean to really, wholly, completely, and fully forgive… Throughout our lifespan, we are all challenged with the need to forgive on a daily basis – for things both big and small, but it wasn’t until this past year that I was faced with the challenge of forgiveness more than ever before. That’s when I began to seek the Bible and wise counsel for answers.
In a previous post, The Dangers of Journaling, I briefly mentioned how God and I started on a journey last April 2016. The big reveal is that I was (am) dealing with some major life-long issues that were (but are no longer) leading to depression; not severely, but I can see that I was well on my way. Through the healing process, God is teaching me to be transparent as He continues to form my story. It’s super hard! The good news is that I am learning how to deal and manage the depression; however, the source still remains (and for all of you who went there, my husband is NOT the source.) As I began to track back through my prior months, I was able to pinpoint almost when it started. It was at that point, it all began to make absolutely perfect sense; thus, promptly beginning my long, grueling, healing process.
Today, growing our kids to be great leaders could be more important than ever before. I am not sure that there has ever been a time where it has seemed to be more imperative to focus on a new generation of upcoming leaders. For anyone who truly knows me, you will know that I am passionate about quality leadership. It is at the foremost of my mind most of the time. I feel that every decision that I make, in both my professional and personal life, boils down to what kind of leader I want to be. I desire for those thoughts and desires to trickle down to my children as well.
As I look back through my articles over the years, it seems that I have been chasing a more simple lifestyle for longer than I can remember. In December of 2010, I wrote an article called Decluttering – Part One, and then another in March of 2013 called Declutter – Part Two, and these articles came long after I had begun my original quest years before. Now, about six years later, I find myself still on the quest to de-clutter, minimize, and simplify my surroundings, schedule, and life. I am finding that this is a life-long quest that may actually never come to an end.
As I sit outside, all alone with my coffee, and welcome the coolness of the early morning sunrise, I realize that Fall is just around the corner, and it makes me semi-reflect on the quickly passing summer. This summer has been a hard one, and I have loathed the necessary journaling that has gone along with pain. God and I started on a journey in April, and I haven’t looked back. He has been with me all the way, leading me, guiding me, pushing me, and then holding me when I feel beaten; like I can’t do it anymore and need to rest. The rest periods have been short and very sweet, and God has never allowed time for me to become complacent before sending me back to the battlefield. This fight has been really hard, but I know that it will be well worth it in the end.
We 
aren’t naturally born with healthy boundaries, and if you have ever been the parent of a newborn baby, you would probably agree – sleepless nights, constantly being on call; never feeling like you can leave the house. However, on the contrary, if you are the parent of a toddler or teen who is constantly using the word no, you may disagree and think otherwise. Setting healthy boundaries does not begin and end with our children. It is a forever lifestyle that impacts every area of our lives and is vital to our emotional health and well-being.
Whenever someone finds out that we are a homeschooling family, the very first question they seem to ask is this, “What do you do for socialization?” It’s funny how just one small, simple question can make someone feel totally inadequate. For years, I would react to those six words as if I was standing face to face with a judge; needing to explain my way out of a crime that I didn’t commit.
Have you ever been on the sidelines of a game, just waiting for the perfect time to jump in and play along? Do you know what it’s like to sit and stare longingly onto the field while others play the game, all the while thinking that the season was going to end before you were able to show your talents and play along? Continue reading
I always thought that I knew how to love people, but what I have realized lately is that I really don’t – not the way that Christ loves or wants us to love anyway. However, through surfacing circumstances that have been bubbling all of my life, He has finally gotten me here, to a place of complete submission and learning what it is really like to really love.
Growing up, I did not learn how to manage money well; I learned how to spend and borrow money very well. I learned that if you need money, no matter how big or small the amount, you just go to the bank and ask for it. I did not learn a good way to save and give, and the words “can afford it” were only used to reference payments.
