One of the first things we need to learn as a baby is that life isn’t all about me. It may take a while to figure that out because when we’re so tiny and cute and helpless life kind of is all about us for a while. But when our parents finally decide that it’s …
When Dave decided to become a pastor, way back when we were in our early twenties and newly married, some friends tried to convince us not to do it. They said if Dave became a pastor our kids would be really messed up, so for their sake we shouldn’t go into vocational ministry. Yes, we …
After years of being married, raising three children, working with people, speaking thousands of times, and writing four books, I’m finally coming to accept the fact that people don’t do what I tell them to do. Our family enjoys an awesome time away in June at a friend’s vacation home on Flathead Lake in Montana. …
Do you know that feeling when you’re almost overwhelmed by how much you love someone or something? When you feel so incredibly lucky – blessed – that you feel like your heart could burst? I call those moments a glimpse of heaven. It’s often brought on by a person. But it can even happen when …
When it comes to eating humble pie, I’ve had more than my share. If I never ate another slice, I’d be okay with that. But that possibility is highly unlikely. In fact, just the other day I was told by a friend – who happens to be a therapist – to expect something humbling to …
I’m usually a very organized, perceptive person. I can see the big picture and also details. But there was one very trivial event in my past that comes to mind every now and then to remind me that we all have blind spots. Things we just don’t see until something comes along that opens our …
As my kids were growing up, every year when they got home from the last day of school they knew they would find a big homemade summer calendar on the door in the kitchen. It started with the last day of school and ended with the first day of the next school year. And in …
My view of the dentist’s office changed last week. I owe my new perspective to two young mothers. The first one got me laughing. The second got me thinking. The first, an exhausted mother of four young children, said, “I’m so tired; my idea of a vacation is a trip to the dentist. I just …
Are you in that wonderful exhausting phase of life when it seems like you’re spending all of your time changing diapers and tying shoelaces and practicing spelling words and making pb&j sandwiches shaped like dinosaurs & cute little hearts? When Dave & I were there we heard a song that helped us see past the …
A week ago Dave & I went to a reunion in our hometown. We had a great time reconnecting with 80+ “kids” that we used to hang out with at church and in a youth choir way back when we were all teenagers. It was so much fun seeing everyone again and sharing old memories …