Sometimes our motives are obvious. Other times, we have ulterior motives guiding us, affecting our decision-making and discernment. For me, guilt is often an ulterior motive. Back in school, every time the teacher reprimanded the whole class for bad behavior instead of singling someone out, I was sure it was all my fault. Even now, if someone on a work team seems less than thrilled with an outcome, I’m instantly guilty. My guilt has had a way of guiding me into people-pleasing and letting Continue Reading
3 Truths to Overcome Lies of Rejection {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
I fought the urge to gasp while reading her text on my phone. The hard-to-swallow message caused a long-buried hurt to suddenly resurface. Rejection. Although I have felt the sting of rejection throughout my life, this was a lesson from the school of hard knocks, adult education department. Rejection happens in every stage of life—to little girls, teen girls, and grown girls. Almost like I was an experiment in a lab or a reality show. Will she survive rejection as a woman? Stay tuned Continue Reading
Shifting the Praise Paradigm {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
The CD played my new favorite song as I drove to work that morning. It was the end of winter and the damp air outside kept the windshield misty with rain. Tears fell down my face as I worshiped Him through song. Just a couple of days before, I had been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Surgery had been scheduled for a few weeks away. Life as I knew it had changed with a doctor’s visit. Yet, as the song “Behold the Lamb” played on, my heart was filled with peace, gratitude and Continue Reading
When Facing a Problem, Follow Mary’s Example {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
What do you do when you come up against an unexpected or impossible problem? Try to fix it, panic or call for help? Mary, the mother of Jesus, models how I want to act. At the beginning of His public ministry at age thirty, Jesus attended a wedding at Cana. Mary must have been helping at the wedding. When the wine ran out, she brought the problem to Jesus. You can read the account here John 2:1–11. Mary said to Jesus, “They have no more wine.” That’s it. No pleading, no explanation of Continue Reading
To The Wanna-Know-It-Alls {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
“I don’t know.” You say it when someone asks you to do something and you aren’t sure how to answer. The words are uttered in annoyance by kids everywhere as parents inquire about homework, grades, and missing toys. “…Anymore” is tagged on when tragedies strike and we’re left in shock. Feelings of doubt, loss, vulnerability, and betrayal often overcome us when we realize that we don’t know something that we think we should, or that we want to, or that we thought we already knew. Continue Reading
I Don’t Believe in Karma or the Man Upstairs {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP}
Is believing in karma or sending chain letters the way to unlock a secret code of blessings from the man upstairs? Much to my dismay, I've received chain letters by email or on social media and Messenger. Each written from a promise of believing. If I believe in karma, then something good will happen today to make me happy and angels also watch over me. Or, the man upstairs blesses me. But, to seal the deal, I must forward the message to a specified number of friends including the sender. Continue Reading
