Last week I got a fresh lesson on how easily life could slip away. All went well during my common outpatient surgery. Until recovery. Bells clanged behind my head and people in scrubs came running. I knew by their faces it was serious. My heartbeat and blood pressure were plummeting. (Bad reaction to one of the medications.) I remember feeling peace in-the-midst. I knew God was in control and people were praying for me. I did wonder, how low is... Continue reading

Trust me, I know what it's like to be the mother of a child who wants to rule the roost, if not the world. The funny thing is this personality type can be spotted almost from the get-go. One mom says, "It seems I've been battling with 'Austin' ever since he popped out. Everything's a struggle with that one." Another mom says, "We have two little girls, 'Emma' and 'Chloe.' I know what to do with Emma, but Chloe's a... Continue reading

Tornado roars through Moore, Oklahoma. How would we cope if this was where we used to live? Imagine coming back to this. Some residents returned to piles of rubble they couldn't see over. Some found flat, empty spaces littered with debris. They could only trace in their minds where walls once stood. All cried and hugged each other. Who wouldn't? In memory their individual homes looked sweet and flawless, filled with precious possessions. The ordinary, boring routines of daily life... Continue reading

Am I excited? You betcha. The longest pregnancy in the history of the world is about to end. Delivery date is near, about June 7th, and I'm getting anxious to hold my "baby" in my arms, um, hands. I already know this one will not look a bit like my husband or me. But anyone who takes a good long look will know she's mine. Maybe you already guessed I'm talking about my new book. Want a sneak peek at... Continue reading

Possibly every mom wishes we could go back and start over again Next time we'd be equipped with practical learning from the first time around. That would come in handy in mothering our children. Take me, for instance. I've always loved our girls and sincerely tried to be a good mom. Now I know I tried so hard I made myself uptight. If I were starting over . . . First of all, I'd relax, knowing it's more important to... Continue reading

That word "privilege" may sound over-the-top, especially if you're having a bad day. Every child starts as a newborn. A miracle. If you don't think that's a miracle, just ask any couple with fertility challenges whether conceiving a child is routine. So many obstacles could--and often do--interfere with one sperm and one egg coming together at just the right time. In that instant, for every human being, the codes for life are set in place. For instance: Male or female.... Continue reading

Twenty-four hour news sounds good, but there seems to be no escape. The bad always outweighs the good, because every journalist knows that bad news sells. It becomes the background noise of our life and fear seeps into our subconscious. Think of the past few months. We can tune out faraway places, but what of the terror that comes closer to home? Movie-goers get mowed down in a Colorado theatre. School children in Newtown. Every school and college is on... Continue reading

Have you ever listened to the lyrics of the music playing in stores where you shop? Judging by the songs popular right now, none of us have a reason to feel glad. About anything. Singer after singer moans there's no reason to go on. Nobody ever stays in love. Life has no meaning. Songs like that play in every store, it seems. I asked a clerk how she stands it and she looked puzzled, then said, "Music? Oh, yeah, I... Continue reading

What prompts the question is a news story in the March 31 edition of The Sacramento Bee. A local child care center, Tot Town, recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. Ownership has changed over the years, but their philosophy remains the same. "I tell parents to put their hands behind their backs," says Nancy Ennis, one of the owners, "and let these kids do it (for themselves.)" At Tot Town, teachers stress independence, so little ones pour their own milk and... Continue reading

Nobody called it "good" on that Friday that changed everything. Those people watching didn't know Easter would follow. Some had given three years of their lives to follow Jesus. They abandoned everything to be with him. To listen. To learn. To believe. And now this. They couldn't believe their eyes. Jesus, the one who commanded howling winds and fierce waves to be still (Matthew 8:23-27) now hung on the cross as if he were powerless. The cost of following Who... Continue reading

This illustration came to mind when I thought how easily we pick up hidden meanings in the simple remarks of others. Praise may inhabit the same sentences, but we miss that. In one effortless leap, we pounce on the negative and camp out. The thought lingers like pesky grains of beach sand that refuse to rub off or wash off. I wonder what she meant by that? How can he expect me to ... ? Who does she think she... Continue reading

You may be thinking, Easy for her to talk. She doesn't know my life. Maybe not, but I'm another mom with a strong-willed child. I remember that deep-down weariness because it seemed everything became a hassle. I longed for someone to tell me, "You will survive and one day you will be glad." Nobody did. So I too often got stuck in wanting to "win." Life would have been easier for both of us if I had concentrated on strengths... Continue reading

Have you noticed how many people seem to prefer talking or texting to someone invisible over talking to the real, live person next to them? Apparently mealtimes at home are no exception. One mom reported in her family everyone brings along their electronic gadgets to the table. She said, "I love it. Nobody argues or complains. Peace, it's wonderful!" Do you think so? 1. Last week I saw three cute kids trailing after their mom in a large store, all... Continue reading

Ever been in a situation where you felt sorry for yourself? Most of us have. I confess to quite a few. I remember vividly a time we moved because my husband took another position. He loved it. Obviously, God matched my husband up with that job. Let's just say the move wasn't my idea. It put me in a new place with no family, no connections and no circle of friends from the church we loved. I felt alone and... Continue reading

My sweetheart and I just marked another in a long string of wedding anniversaries. Is he really perfect? Well, probably not. Am I? Certainly not. Have we grown and changed? Absolutely. I fell hard for this handsome young fella the first time he aimed a smile my way. We married young and experts would have pronounced us doomed for divorce. They didn't know we meant it when we promised to be faithful and to stay married for life. Most of... Continue reading

Do you find HGTV addicting? Me, too. Five minutes of watching Home & Garden TV channel and I start noticing what's "wrong" with our place. Typical HGTV host(s) start a huge project and kaboom! In thirty minutes they knock out walls, paint, tile, hang curtains and pictures and move in new furniture. It's a piece of cake, right? That's what a young friend thought, too. She fell for one of their "simple" projects and absolutely knew it would work on... Continue reading

You've probably seen the story about the Walmart employee who found a little red notebook in the store's parking lot. The 20-year old whose job was to corral shopping carts on a cold night could tell someone put lots of effort into writing it. He wanted to find its author(s) and give it back. Eventually two cousins were located, ages 8 and 10. One news story reported they wrote it because of pesky younger siblings. Another stated the girls wanted... Continue reading

Even when life is good we can feel overwhelmed. I did, especially as a young mom with much to be thankful for. I made up my mind to overcome that feeling and learn a stronger, wiser way of looking at people and my life. Any tidbit of time I went to school, reading the Bible, good books and the best of our daily newspaper. That's where I found a reprinted piece by Frank Crane. It spoke to me, so I... Continue reading

That's bad grammar, I know, but the phrase imprinted itself on my mind ever since I attended an anti-stress workshop years ago. The leader began with those words and had us repeat it after him, again and again. It's not a bad slogan for beginning a new year, especially after a year that featured lots of what someone labeled "stinkin' thinkin" on all sides. Borrowing from that workshop leader, I say, "Enough, already!" If we adopted that technique it would... Continue reading

It's time to step out into another new year. What will we need to get us through? Moms and dads add another question, How can we help our kids to live in confidence? After the events of the past couple of months such questions take on new urgency. Not even the forecasters who most often prove right or odds-makers who usually pick winners can predict what lies before us. Here are some essential take-alongs for our journey, whatever it brings.... Continue reading

It's Christmas, a time of joy and gladness This year the horror at Sandy Hook Elementary hangs over our land like a thick fog and paints everything gray. Our hearts ache for those grieving families and that community. More than one person has asked, "How can we have Christmas at a time like this?" The truth is, Christmas is exactly what we need at a time like this. Think how the lights and the familiar songs lift our spirits. Even... Continue reading

We picture lovely Christmas card images. A semi-circle of sheep, cows and donkeys stand transfixed, gazing in wonder at these human intruders into their world. Mary and Joseph beam their love at the newborn baby, while a bright star overhead shines its light directly on the stable. We think, How lovely. Reality may not have been so neat and tidy. Sorry if that sounds outrageous, but I've been around cows and sheep. Yes, that stable would have been shelter from... Continue reading

These days there don't seem to be a lot of reasons to feel good. If anyone had reason to feel sorry for themselves it was the Pilgrims that first Thanksgiving in 1621. Maybe we imagine a table groaning with food, but that's not likely. Late the previous autumn they had landed at Plymouth, MA, with 102 people. Then over the winter 47 family members and friends had perished, including 14 of the original 18 adult women. Yet the survivors set... Continue reading