Months ago I read an article (didn't save it) that really resonated with me.  It challenged the reader to simply "celebrate your own birthday, don't wait for someone to do it for you"  What a simple yet profound thought!  This thought never really occurred to me.  As a child I didn't have to coordinate a Happy Birthday for myself.  Parents, teachers and friends always managed to make the cake, light the candles and declare me a day older with a song.  I completely took those first two decades of celebrations for granted.  I should have handled the next two decades (almost) of turning a year older with more grace, but I can't say that I did.  Not that I mind creeping up to 40.  Growing older is a privilege denied to many.  What I inwardly struggled with was my unspoken expectations that the world would continue to pause on December 5th to place a tiara on my head.  Yes, five kids later, I still  felt this way.  I spent many birthdays bothered that a baby didn't sleep through the night, that my husband was away from home or that I had to cook my own…

One doesn't have to go looking for disappointments, stress or pain in life.  Those things are like Pennsylvania potholes- easy to see but hard to avoid.  But concealed along life's journey is something in equal abundance, but you'll miss it if you're not looking for it- it is JOY!  Not to be confused with happiness, joy is the decision to have a positive attitude despite the circumstance because you look for the hope in the situation. Happiness comes and goes based on what is HAPPENING.  See the difference?  There are valleys in life where you have to look really hard for that hope to have joy.  Meanwhile you find out what you are made of and what torments your soul.  In September of 2016 I crawled through that dark valley.  My husband's quick 4 month deployment had turned into a 10 month Active Duty nightmare due to an injury.  It meant I was alone with my four young sons all week. Homeschooling.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Repeat. All day.  Everyday. I questioned the normalcy of my mental despair despite the obvious stressful situation.   Just a few weeks ago while in California I heard the story of a…

Wouldn't it be lovely to decorate with fresh summer produce year round!?  I loved filling my house with 52 pounds of peaches- the pleasant aroma and fuzzy texture.   The peaches adorned my shelves, cabinets, tables and bowls for just a brief time before turning them into delicious dishes for my family.  I intended to can some, but that never happened. Maybe there will be time for canned pears this year? Don't be deceived by the cute picture with my kids.  It was HOT!  There were BUGS!  (Completely forgot to pack my Young Living Insect Repellent)  The complaining was justified, but I didn't want to hear it.  So the promises of peach cobbler, peach smoothies, peach oatmeal and of course peach ice cream, provided enough motivation to carry on long enough to fill two boxes. If there were extra hours in the day, I would probably spend them cooking.  I do my best to keep my family from ingredients I can't pronounce. My kitchen often looks like a few science experiments are taking place at the same time, i.e. it is a mess!  Cooking from scratch takes extra time but the results are worth it! One…

What a blessing it is to have this selfless couple that mentors my husband and I.  We spent a long weekend with Ben & Mary Ann in Los Angeles for First Steps to Success with Dani Johnson.  It sounds like a “Get Rich Quick” seminar, right?  But no, it went so much deeper than that.  When you get real with yourself, then you can move yourself.  Things got real Friday morning.  Not because of the people in the room but the Holy Spirit was there and speaking through those in attendance.  I’ve been in church my entire life and never experienced anything like it. We are all handed this script in life.  Yours might say that you are doomed to be a failure, a victim or to live a life of perfection (this is hypocrisy).  But I am the writer of my own life.  I can write a totally different ending to my script.  What has to change in me though?  What is holding me back?  Unforgiveness – the root to insecurities and anger- that's what I am guilty of.  I didn't realize that before attending.  Unforgiveness often comes with the labels of hatred, disgust…