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Morning Has Broken Me: Why Early Peace & Quiet Usually Wins the Daily Struggle Over Sleeping In
As a kid in church, I always liked the tune of the old Christian song, “Morning has Broken,” but I never understood the lyrics. I broke a glass, my sister broke a bone, and a huge earthquake broke three jars of our jam. But how does the morning break? Now that I’m the size of an adult, I realize it’s more tied to breaking through something, like a surface or a barrier. The sun silently initiates “go-time” and morning has commenced. A light has risen. Something fresh. A new beauty. Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you and watch…
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3 Trips, 2 Countries & a Ring: The Benefits of Travel & How it Can Energize Your Family
Did you get away this summer? Doesn’t matter if it wasn’t a gigantic vacation; even a day trip can get you out of your normal routine mentally and emotionally. With the help of two ministries, some friends, and a knack for creative adventures, I visited three places, all of which either energized my heart, mind, or body. Some did all three and left me beyond grateful for the break. Stop #1: Ensenada YWAM My niece is on staff at Youth With A Mission, so a few of us went down to visit her. I hadn’t crossed the Mexican border in about three years; felt strange to visit the city near…
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My 4-Day Frustrating Forced Phone Fast: What I Learned in the Silence of Being Unplugged
Day: Saturday morning Location: Apple store Issue: Stripes on screen I stood on the curb at the quaint mall, 20 minutes before they opened, fifth in line. I hid my irritation around the nearby strangers, but inside I felt my nerves starting to get on each other. It’s fine. I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s just stripes. A few stripes are fine. It’ll be fine, right? Oh my gosh—what if it’s not fine? “Hi. How can I help you?” I turned my phone in the man’s direction. “I have an issue.” “Ohhh, yes.” He tried to hide his best-guess diagnosis, but I knew he knew. My issue consisted of irregular…
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Sunday Night Sadness: 8 Ways I Prepare to Beat the Monday Morning Blues
I assumed it was just me. Then a friend commented how she doesn’t enjoy Sunday evenings because it’s like the fun party she knows is coming to an end. Her mind vacillates between enjoying the evening and dreading the next morning filled with work, chores, errands, and crazy. Coming in the door from church always gets my brain playing tug-o-war too. But I get giddy when I remember how Sunday is the only day of the week I read, watch something, and nap with zero guilt. If that sounds impossible to implement in your life, believe me… I wasn’t always this way. For a Type-A human with a strong “keep…
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Fun Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Besides the fact that Mother’s Day is definitely not canceled this year, most moms I know need a little boost. From more cooking and creativity to more discipline and boredom busters, quarantine fatigue is real, y’all. But just because our great-grandmas might have wanted rose perfume and lace aprons doesn’t mean we do. Fun gifts to the rescue! Click the pics for the easiest shopping trip ever. Pink Queen Women’s Mama Bear Shirt Almost 2,100 happy reviewers can’t be wrong—this super cute crew neck comes in 10 colors and boasts elbow patches and pockets! Perfect for the soon-to-be mom. Or the young mom. Or the midlife mom. * Knock Knock Vouchers…
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3 Books, 2 Shows & a Podcast
I’ve always believed items and experiences of significance should be shared, not hoarded. So here ya go… six things I’m currently loving and think you will too. * 3 Books 1. Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown Her subtitle explains it well: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone. Umm, yes please. Whether we realize it or are willing to admit it, most of us yearn for true belonging. Cultivating it in our communities, organizations and culture sounds taxing to me… and fantastic. The courage to stand alone isn’t simple, but this book is on its way to my hammock chair and I’m ready to dive…
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Reclaiming Minutes & Health: 5 Things I Stopped Doing & 5 Things I Started
Skimmers appreciate writers getting to the point sooner than later. And since I’m a reader, a writer and a skimmer, I feel ya. Scrolling through a recipe blog and passing 14 photos of different angles of quinoa makes me crazy. Yes, I see the bran and germ and appreciate the endosperm. Just give me the dang recipe! You’re most likely busy and tired, so I’ll skip the details of why I wrote this or how it’s changed my life. It’s just a free list from me to you. My 5 Most Annoying Time Wasters 1. Corporate Emails But I can’t be inundated by your email announcements because you keep sending…
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Family Dinner Questions w/a Side of Candlelight: Getting Your Kids and Teens to Talk
“So…? How was your day?” “Good.” “Anything fun or different?” “Nope.” If this riveting dialogue plagues your family too, take heart and read on. Spreading a sheet or blanket in the family room and turning dinner into a picnic sounds so quaint, doesn’t it? Photo by not brittany shh pls on Unsplash Mostly, yes. But if your brain skips over the cute family bonding part and goes straight to what could happen to your carpet, clothes, knees and back, it’s okay to stay at the table. Better yet, take your meal outside and enjoy the weather while you can. Even though the floor or patio can help breed…
