faith, self image

Finding a Healthy Self-Image

  Finding a healthy self-image can be tricky. When my kids were small, I prayed for them to be humbly confident. I wanted them to be self-assured in school and all they did, but I didn’t want them to be prideful or overly confident. Nobody likes a know-it-all. And though pride can be a good thing, most pride is not. …

Continue Reading
faith

What to Do When Your Spouse (Or Somebody You Love) is an Unbeliever

  Do you remember your first date with the person you eventually said, “I do” to? I remember mine. Even today, twenty-seven years later I can remember how we laughed. I loved laughing with him. Still do. But life is full of twist and turns, and as two people stand at the altar repeating vows, they cannot fathom all that …

Continue Reading
faith

Permission to Set Boundaries

For every strength there is a weakness. I used to take pride in my ability to empathize with people. I was thankful for my compassionate heart–and maybe even prideful that I enjoyed taking care of people. Isn’t that what Jesus did? Shouldn’t everybody? It was my first year working on  staff at a church, and I loved every minute of …

Continue Reading
difficult people, faith

Dealing with Difficult People {Help!}

We all have them in our lives, those people we would rather not be near. No matter how hard we try to be peaceful, they push our buttons. They’re angry, selfish, antagonizing, maybe manipulating. Maybe all of those things. We try avoiding them. But it’s impossible when you work or live with them. So, what do we do? How do …

Continue Reading
faith, identity in christ

Identity in Christ

I’ll never forget the day we sold our mini-van. It was the weirdest thing. I couldn’t wait to get rid of it, the mom-van decorated with college bumper stickers. But when the day finally came, I felt a deep sadness creep into my soul. Selling it closed the end of an era of our family. Gone were the days of …

Continue Reading