A few days before my colonoscopy, I got a phone call.  It has taken me years to stop denying the need for the procedure, and when I finally scheduled it, the days that followed were full of angst. Between the surgery center, the doctor’s office, and anesthesia, it felt like I was getting two phone calls a day—each one asking the same questions. I felt like a walking checklist.  But then, the last call came. A quiet, timid voice greeted me on the other end of the line. She introduced herself as someone from billing, calling to go over the charges for my upcoming procedure.  She hesitated for a moment before saying, “So… your insurance deductible is quite high.”  There was a pause, heavy with anxiety.  I responded, “I know the procedure is expensive, and I have the means to pay what I need to today.”  She exhaled. I could almost feel the relief wash over the phone line.  “Oh thank you so much,” she said. “I just didn’t know how I was going to tell you how much you owed. I could only imagine how upset you were going to be with me. Thank you for making this conversation so easy.”

When my son left for college, he left behind a beautiful desk he built tucked into the corner of his room. And what does any good mom do? She takes it over and makes it her very own charging station.  Because honestly, I don’t know about you, but there never seems to be enough power strips and charging cords for all the gadgets that need to be recharged. And that got me thinking… what do we do when our battery hits the red zone—below that 10% mark?

—Taylor Swift

Few things are as simple—and as profound—as wildflowers. I don’t water them, I don’t tend to them, and honestly, I didn’t even plant them this year. Yet, there they are, pushing up through the earth, bringing unexpected joy to anyone who stops to notice them. They bloom where they are planted.  That phrase—“bloom where you are planted”—is scattered throughout my office. But I’ll be honest: there were seasons when I truly questioned whether I could bloom in the chaos around me. Still, somehow, I did.

Last week, I was challenged with something unexpectedly fun: Puzzle Mania.   Most of my blog themes revolve around self-care, and this one is no different.

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Sight & Sound Theatre in Branson. I’ve seen a few of their productions over the years, and while Esther will likely always be my favorite, this year’s presentation of David was something special.  What made it even more meaningful was the season I found myself in—attending a church that was walking through the book of 1 Samuel. We were studying David’s story just as I was about to see it brought to life on stage. That kind of alignment is no coincidence; God has a way of weaving truth through different parts of our lives.  

“I always did like flowers, said the Lion. They seem so helpless and frail.”  —L. Frank Baum

You know what I need to do? Drink more water.  You know what I want to do? Drink more Diet Dr. Pepper.

“‘Cause even when your heart is breakin' and you've gone and lost your way.  You're, you're gonna be okay.”

Women need other women in their lives who think they are amazing.  No competition, no jealousy, no hate,

“Putting first things first means organizing and executing around your most important priorities.  It is living and being driven by the principles you value most, not by the agendas and forces surrounding you.”  —Stephen Covey

You are stepping into a new stage of life—sending your kids off to college, the military, or another type of leaving the nest.  I’ve done it—twice to college, once to basic training, and once on a deployment across the globe. And let me tell you… motherhood is hard.

Journaling is my number one counseling tool. It’s something anyone can do—children, teens, and adults alike. The key is finding the right approach, and unlike years ago, there are now so many more options available.  I often remind people that journaling feels hard because our thinking around it is skewed. Most of us associate it with the kind of diary we kept as kids—where we either wrote about the worst things that ever happened (“I had to do push-ups at lunch because the gym teacher said I was talking too loud”) or the very best (“I got a note folded into a triangle from my secret admirer!”). Yes, I know I’m showing my age there.