Do You Want Candles With That? "Do you want candles with that?" My husband asked after peering at the keto cake mix and icing I'd bought to celebrate my birthday. "Not all of them," I replied, "It'd be an inferno!" Then, chuckling, memories flooded my mind. Mom's Birthday Cake Mom was turning 40 something, and... Continue Reading →
Surprise Visits My mother used to say - Just come by! You don't have to call. Then I don't have to worry about dusting! She meant it. She loved surprise visits from people. I confessed to my husband the other day that one of the hardest things about losing my mom was the loss of... Continue Reading →
"Automatic Replenishment" I looked at my bank account today and realized it was short. Ugh! I scolded myself for overspending because I must have spent an extra $130, even if I'm too tired to remember what I spent it on. At the same time, I opened my email. Ahhhh, that's where the money went! The... Continue Reading →
Blessed Contradiction I could be talking about myself here - I, too, am a blessed contradiction, but I'm actually talking about the reading and verse for today. James is the doer's book. It's all about doing the right thing, the good work, the business of acting as a follower of Christ. This Ephesians verse basically... Continue Reading →
O Happy Day! I love this song! It's kind of corny, but I love the movie version from Sister Act, where the singer is so insecure, but as he sings, he gains confidence and then ends up blowing the crowd away. An interesting backstory note is that he decided to sing that high note on... Continue Reading →
A Prayer For Laundry Laundry always makes me think of my mom. It's not that she loved doing laundry or anything - though she would often talk about how much she missed seeing the clothes hanging on the line like "back home" in Ireland. It's just that many of my memories of her involve laundry... Continue Reading →
40-Day Challenge: Day 35 This is a big deal. At this point, we are only five days away from completing the 40-Day Challenge! Thank you for taking this journey with me! I have been struck repeatedly by how often we are encouraged to trust the Lord throughout this task. I am compelled by how often... Continue Reading →
A Trouble Shared "A trouble shared..." each of us holding one side of the load made the trip easier. The burden isn't nearly as great when you have someone to help you. I think everyone can relate to this image and that is why Jesus uses it. As a mother you give your child the... Continue Reading →
Treasure Chest When we were kids, the best part about going to the dentist was the treasure chest at the end of the visit. The dentist filled the box with gold-colored rings, jewelry, bright, colorful plastic jewels, spinning tops, toys, foam airplanes. The mouth-watering excitement of being able to choose a prize negated any pain... Continue Reading →
Got You Covered You know that feeling when someone pays the bill for you? Or when someone goes ahead and includes your purchases when they go to checkout? It's a relief, a flush of gratefulness, and often accompanied by an exclamation of the "You don't have to do that!" type. But, has someone ever volunteered... Continue Reading →
Speak Up! When the kids were small, my husband and I always told them to speak up for themselves and others if mistreated. Speaking up and speaking out for what is right not only makes you strong in the face of adversity, it forces you to own what you believe. I used to tell my... Continue Reading →
Work I'm tired today. It's been a long four days. In speaking with someone earlier, I expressed the fact that there never seems to be enough hours in the day. If I ever wanted to engage in some self-care, it would be difficult to schedule. So many of us run from job-to-job or job-to-responsibility without... Continue Reading →
