At best, it’s a difficult mess…
A friend and I were doing the “catch up” text yesterday, you know the, “How are you’s?” When he responded with, “Struggling due to a good friend whose young child has cancer.” UGH. One of the hardest to swallow and make sense of. Then he went on to say, “Feeling, life at it’s best, is difficult.” That stayed with me all day. Boy, is it difficult. I hear it from clients, friends and ones I hold dear in my heart. We all have wounds whether we offer them up to others, inviting them into...
read moreGood God
This week my dad had surgery. I won’t go into the scary details because the outcome was better than we could have ever hoped for. When it was all over we heard lots of, “God is Good!”. I even said it myself and texted it to my family and friends. It made me ponder. Yes, God is good. But, he’s not just good in the happy events, easy moments, and the “margins are clear” times. He is also good in the difficult, fearful, painfully lonely, I can’t catch my breath moments too. Are we brave and faithful...
read moreTunnel Living
Have you ever had a moment when hope or faith got a bit difficult to carry on your own? Or maybe you just decided to put them down because you didn’t see any reason to keep holding them so tightly. These moments can be the most scary and lonely places we find ourselves in. The other day I happened to have one of those moments, and when I feel one coming on there are a handful of people I reach out to. People who have earned the right to hear and be a part of my story, the good, bad and the very ugly. This time I tagged my sister...
read moreWhat do Blueberries have to do with Obedience?
Recently I took 21 kids from our youth group to SIFAT (Servants in Faith and Technology), in Lineville Alabama for what I would call a mission “Experience”. Now I have been on many mission trips, in country and out, but this was the most powerful and difficult thing I have done. I am still processing all that cracked my heart open and left my head spinning. One of the many lessons that I took home was something that was presented to us after the “Experience”. The program director, Addison spoke a lot on what missions...
read moreWe get wet, we get dry…We get dry, we get wet.
This past week I was hanging out, drinking coffee with this hip, funny, creative young man. We are friends. Actually he is friends with my big boys, but he somehow tumbled in became one of mine. We enjoy getting together for coffee to share, encourage and inspire each other. He reached out last week but I was busting a breakout to NC and could not meet until this week. When we finally got together and found a great perch to drink our coffee, I asked him, “What’s up?” He explained what the challenges had been the previous week...
read moreWho are you?
Today a visiting preacher came to church to speak and I was tempted to stay home, warm and piddle. So glad I didn’t. I knew I loved him when he opened his mouth and said in his deep tone, “Temptation hovers over us like a flu virus!” How true is that? He told tales of how we all are tempted to lose our temper, cover things up, cheat when no one is looking, take the easy path, and not live up to be who we are. He was right, we easily forget and listen to who the world tells us we are or should be. Not smart enough, rich...
read moreHalftime, Girl Talk and Landing Spots
I started out this year saying I was going to blog at least 3 times a week. Well, you can see how well that one went. I think that I have had so much in between my ears that I was afraid to actually write it! This is the year I turn 50. I am not scared, sad or upset about it like so many of my friends, but is has stirred a great deal within me. I feel incredibly blessed to have made it to the 50 mark with good health, 5 amazing children who like to be with me, a daughter in law that I enjoy and think of as my own. I have a job that I love,...
read moreTHRIVE
Every year I ask my clients to pick ONE WORD that they want to define their New Year. In the past I have chosen Intentional, Health, and Leap. All words that were carried with me throughout the past years to hold me accountable. It really does work if the word can represent all areas of your life. This year, as I am heading towards 50, and after prayerful moments between the crazy Christmas time and ringing in the New Year, I decided on THRIVE. THRIVE: 1. to grow vigorously : flourish 2. to progress toward or realize a goal despite or...
read moreWild Things
I always start the day with good intentions, really. I ask God to keep a guard on my mouth and help me be a good mother to my tribe. I try to step into the day with a positive attitude, productive feet and a loving heart. But isn’t it strange how even with the best intentions put on, the mess that lives deep inside can surprise us by rearing it’s ugly needy head. Somehow the older I get and the more I know, just means that I know what I am doing is wrong, and watch myself do it. “Yes, I am taking things personally! No,...
read more20 Tips for a Positive and Productive 2013
20 Tips for a Positive and Productive 2013 1. BEGIN. The greatest miracle of your success will not be that you finished but that you had the courage to begin! So get up and get moving today. 2. PRAY. C.S. Lewis wrote: “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I am helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.” And remember the two most powerful prayers are. “Help and Thank-you!” Simple and heard…always. 3. LET GO. The 3 things that you...
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Merrill Is a mother of 5 who has found her calling in sharing her experiences from life with others. She can help you break out of your routine to live life to its fullest potential.