There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NLT) One of the girls I work with has a ton of friends. We tease her all time, because whenever she talks about her friends she always says, “My best friend, Jane” or “My best friend, Sarah.” Everyone is her best friend. Even though we laugh about it, I can totally relate to having a lot of “best friends.” Because my dad was in the military, we moved around a lot. That always put me in the position of having to leave friends and go make new ones. My life is a lot like the song I learned as a kid in Brownies: “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver ...

“If you think about it, your favorite memories, the most important moments in your life ... were you alone? Life’s better with company.” ~ Ryan Bingham, Up in the Air A few months ago, I had the genius idea to have a garage sale. We had so much stuff we didn’t need anymore and we needed some extra money for our vacation in November, so I decided it was time to bite the bullet and sell it all! I excitedly told my husband, Travis, of my plan. He wasn’t nearly as excited about it as I was, so I asked my mom and sister to get involved with this crazy endeavor. Thankfully, they shared my enthusiasm. For weeks, we got things ready for the sale. It took us two trips in two Ford ...

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend, co-worker or loved one that you just can’t stop thinking about? Or have you ever said something that you wish with all your might that you could take back? And thoughts of what you said (or didn’t say) just keep rolling around in your mind … so much so that you can’t think straight? You may even have a sick feeling in your stomach. It’s like something just isn’t “right.” Let me tell you … I have so been there! (And more times than I’d like to admit.) I recently found myself thinking about a conversation I had with a close friend of mine. I wish I had said some things differently and that I hadn’t said as much as I ...

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to interview two 90+ year-old-ladies for an article that will be in our church magazine. It was an incredible feeling to spend time with two women who together have lived over 180 years! They have experienced so much life. This really caused me to start thinking about my own life. If someone were to sit down with me when I’m 90 years old, what would I have to say? What kind of life will I have lived? As one of the ladies shared with me about her passion for intercession and her love for the Word, I began to think about my own life. Do I have that kind of passion? Lately, I have felt completely passionless … as if I’m in a very dry ...

I always wanted to be married. As a little girl, my dream was to grow up, meet the man of my dreams and live happily ever after. I’ve always liked boys. I was never one of those little girls who went through a stage where boys were “icky” or “gross.” In elementary school, I was the girl on the playground chasing them. Even to this day, I get along with boys better than girls. I’ve always had a strong desire for a husband, and I always believed God put that desire in my heart. The problem was I never surrendered that desire back to Him. I never released Him to work in my life. Instead, I placed my expectations on God. I wanted it to happen in my time (around 22 years old) and ...

I’ve always been a dreamer. In fact, when I was in elementary school, my teachers’ main complaint was that I liked to daydream. When I was young, I dreamt about growing up, meeting the perfect man (a mix between Poncharello and Magnum P.I.) and having a house full of kids. And I was going to do all this by the time I was 23. Dreams are good. But dreams don’t always happen the way we think they will. Parts of my dream came true. I did grow up and meet “the perfect man,” AKA Travis (although he’s more of a mix between Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell). But I didn’t meet him until I was 31 years old. We got married when I was 33, and we still haven’t had any children. Like ...

It was one of those days. It had been hectic at work, and I was exhausted. My head was pounding; begging me for relief. As I drove down the highway, I dug through my purse trying to find the small packet that contained my migraine pill. To my dismay, it wasn’t there. Knowing that meant I was out of medication, I stopped at the pharmacy near my house. Since I didn’t have time to call in my prescription before I got there, I made a mental note of all the little things I was out of so I could shop around while I waited for the pharmacist to fill my prescription. I walked around the store in a stupor looking for soap, shampoo, a card for a baby shower I was going to that weekend … ...

I recently read a book that talked about focusing on the positive in people; about focusing on what’s right with people. The book, How Full Is Your Bucket?, revealed how every interaction we have with people … no matter how short or how long … makes a difference in their lives. We may take these brief interactions for granted, but added together they make a profound impact on their lives. As I began to reflect on this, I started thinking about times and ways that I’ve deposited into people’s lives both negatively and positively. If you know me, then you know that my “kind words” filter isn’t engaged as often as it should be. In fact, I’m usually pretty direct and say ...

What Mirror Are You Looking In? Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:2–4 We’ve all had them. Those days when we don’t feel beautiful. In fact, sometimes we feel downright ugly. For me, I’ve had too many of those days in my life. Several years ago, I was going through a really tough time. I was having the “I’m too fat and ugly and no one is ever going to love me” pity party. I was single and lonely and didn’t think God was ever going to ...

Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to interview two 90+ year-old-ladies for an article that will be in our church magazine. It was an incredible feeling to spend time with two women who together have lived over 180 years! They have experienced so much life. This really caused me to start thinking about my own life. If someone were to sit down with me when I’m 90 years old, what would I have to say? What kind of life will I have lived? As one of the ladies shared with me about her passion for intercession and her love for the Word, I began to think about my own life. Do I have that kind of passion? Lately, I have felt completely passionless … as if I’m in a very dry ...