You can imagine if you read it, that it makes a person feel quite vulnerable to so openly discuss such painful and personal details.
When I saw the deluge of support and heard from others who’d been in abusive situations, I was reassured in my decision to tell you.
You know what happened now, but I’d be remiss if I only told you about what I refer to as “That Day” but didn’t tell you about the days after. Out of the pain, trauma, and having the very bedrock of our lives shaken, were born some beautiful things, beauty from ashes indeed. Continue Reading
Gentleness is seen as a strong quality. In Proverbs 25:15b, “a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
Raising children is tough.
I don’t think it’s ever been easy to be a parent, but I do think that parenting now may be more of a challenge than in any other era.
As parents, we face unique difficulties that our parents and grandparents didn’t have to contend with. The internet didn’t exist in past generations and with its arrival came a whole host of issues we must now monitor, offer guidance for, and protect against. Continue Reading
Our beabrador Lillie came to us in July 2008 as a tiny pup and immediately stole our hearts. She left us peacefully and like the lady she was on January 30, 2016 and we will never be the same. You can see her sweetly napping a few weeks ago in the featured picture in her favorite napping spot.
Grief. The word is looming, scary, nobody wants anything to do with it. We fear it.
My family is in the midst of grief. We said goodbye yesterday to a dear and faithful friend, our dog Lillie. She’d been with us for nearly 8 years, since she was just a tiny puppy. We’re her only people. If folks have never had pets or never had one that’s become like family, they won’t understand what I’m saying and I respect that.
But if you’ve had pets whom you adore, this will resonate with you. There’s this thing about dogs. They melt when you scratch their tummies. They want to snuggle up to you like a little baby and snore in your face. But in a heartbeat, they’d come between you and anything that poses a threat, willing to sacrifice their very lives for your safety.
There’s a reason we love our pets so much: They’re faithful. They may poop on the floor sometimes, but they never fail us. They fight for us. They don’t gossip about us. They are loyal, no matter what. They don’t lie to us. They don’t lie about us. They never betray us. They keep our secrets. Their whole lives are about us. For most pets, we are their world. They are completely and undeniably dedicated to us and only us. Continue Reading
(With the generous support of Family Christian, I’ve been able to find some beautiful items to adorn my home this Christmas season, expressing the true sense of CHRISTmas. All the items featured in this post were provided by Family Christian and my selection of these items and my opinion of them are pure, honest, and unbiased).
Who’s in the holiday spirit? Show of hands…anyone? I sure am. I have about 75% of my shopping yet to do but I’m unthwarted.
I refuse to panic.
I’m excited. I’m determined to embrace the season, it’s true Reason, and just enjoy every little bit of it.
Deciding not to allow the season to be stressful, I’ve decided instead to delight in it and savor all its elements. Continue Reading
