Dreams: Finding Joy in the Chase We Call Hard Work

It was a beautiful, joyful experience. Then, it ended and life as a wife, mom, and general manager of my home resumed. For a moment I wondered why I couldn’t hold on a little longer to the satisfaction of knowing a job well done. As usual, God gave me an answer to this wondering in a reminder to get back to work. 

Keep Calm and Trust God

By Jen Roland According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of Americans face physical symptoms of stress, such as fatigue, headaches, and difficulty sleeping, but only 28% of them manage their stress well. About 40 million adults deal with anxiety disorders and 1 in 6 Americans take at least one psychiatric drug to treat mental

Diagnosing the Decline in Your Motivation

The last few weeks I paid attention to my attitude, the words and attitudes of others, and the knowledge I already have regarding motivation. This was not difficult since I spend most of my days motivating others to better their health. Funny how sometimes things we perceive as unclear come into focus when we look at them. I’ve taken what I gathered and observed, and sorted it into six topics that often decrease motivation, and just might be killing yours.

Finding Love in a Hateful World

If you missed the last two blogs in this series, you might go back and review what I was pissed off about and how we can go from pissed off to peace. Now that I’ve taken hold of peace and made it a priority in my life, I am ready to tackle the topic of love.
As I was preparing to write this blog I attended a conference during which one of the speakers addressed how we go about loving the God who loves us. In fact, the conference theme was “Pursuing Christ Together in Love.” Funny how he delivers the words you need at the right time.

From Pissed Off to Peace

It was the coolest morning we had seen since spring, the first hint of fall, and the day of my son’s tenth birthday party. The sun was rising, birds were chirping, an excited boy was up and preparing for his day, and I was looking forward to coffee on the patio before it all got started. Walking into the kitchen I saw something on the floor, and quickly realized what it was: the birthday cake. Half-eaten, icing licked off, and completely ruined, there sat the cake I had picked up just twelve hours prior. The perpetrator of this crime walked over, happily wagging her tail and greeting me, unaware of how perturbed I was with her at this particular moment. This was not the peaceful fall morning I wanted.

Full and Forty

I began to realize that, while life has brought me many meaningful and humbling lessons, I don’t want to rehash the past. I hopefully have a full life ahead of me, but I don’t feel like pondering the future either. What feels right is to sit this forty-year-old rump down, exactly where God has planted it, and experience today.

I’m Quiet and I Like It

The world needs the loud ones, Lord knows y’all keep me entertained, and are often the ones who push me to use the God-given quiet confidence I’ve got. But for the girls who prefer back porch sitting to front row dancing, a good conversation to a big celebration, and quiet bravery to loud boldness, the world needs you, too.

Not Your Grandmother’s Pap

I know for years I went through this experience blindly and assuming things that weren’t true. So, take a minute to read about the realities of the modern pap smear, what it is and what it’s not.