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Life Is Beautiful

Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

The Miracle of Premature Birth

God is good. It’s a simple phrase of three words that we hear often. It’s usually followed by “all the time.” Right now, for me, the phrase reminds me of a raw fear I felt 13 years ago at this time. Thirteen years ago on this day, I was a few days post-op from having my first Crohn’s-related surgery.

It had been a painful time leading up to this emergent surgery. I had months earlier happily discovered I was expecting my second child, something I had been hoping for. I knew almost as soon as the early pregnancy test showed a faint positive that Fourth of July, that this pregnancy was very different from my first.

I was sick…morning, noon, and night sickness for three months that ended when the real pain began. I had such severe abdominal pain that by the time evening arrived each day, I was literally crawling to bed because I was in too much pain to stand upright.

Doctor visits and ultrasounds revealed an intestinal narrowing–an unfortunate but common occurrence in Crohn’s patients. The plan? Wait it out and see what came first–delivery or bowel perforation. I prayed for a healthy delivery. Continue Reading

Encouragement, Health, Life Is Beautiful

Single and Smart: Rules While Waiting

It’s February, the month of love. For some people it’s just another month and for others, they dread it altogether. Valentine’s Day is only days away and it comes with a lot of baggage for some. Being single isn’t easy.  It can be lonely, right? Days like Valentine’s Day seem to rub it in your face mercilessly. When I was suddenly single after being widowed, I had some things to learn before I could ever move on and entertain dating. I had a lot to learn about myself and it was necessary to set some firm boundaries with myself and for myself.

 I wanted to share some valuable lessons I learned and dish up some food for thought. Continue Reading

fearless faith
Encouragement, Life Is Beautiful

Fearless Faith

What are you afraid of? A few things probably immediately spring to mind.  Spiders. Heights. Small spaces. Commitment. Public speaking. We all have a fear of something. But are there some intimidating, frightening fears that are holding you back from doing things you’d really like to do?

I have more fears than the average bear. Some of them I came by naturally, some I “learned” and are a residual symptom from experiencing certain situations in life. There is a point sometimes that I allow those fears to have too much weight in my life.  They could even be paralyzing at times. Continue Reading

Encouragement, Life Is Beautiful

Dream Fearlessly

I have three writing submission deadlines for three different places due in the next two weeks.

I love that sentence and I want it to stand alone so I can delight in it a moment. A year ago, having a writing deadline was but a dream for me. I wasn’t even sure exactly what that looked like. Maybe the pieces I’m submitting won’t result in superstardom, but maybe they will turn into something terrific and be published somewhere. The fact that I’m writing with purpose and putting down meaningful words onto paper that I feel good about, is satisfying. Whether anyone else takes particular notice is delicious icing on a rather sweet cake. Continue Reading