Live Boldly
-
Janice – A Shot of Joy
This week I want to tell you about Janice. She works in the same building that I do and every morning she is a highlight of the day. I have never seen her in anything but a joyful mood. She arrives early to fill in at a small coffee shop for her daughter as they are moving to another location. She never misses a moment to say “Good Morning,” to anyone passing by. We work in an historic building and the floors are similar to cobblestone and the ceilings are very high and open which echoes when you walk on them with high hills. Janice has nicknamed me “Happy Feet,”…
-
A Proper Fitting
One of my least favorite things to do is go bra shopping. It’s sometimes embarrassing, uncomfortable and expensive. But is has to be done. I have always done the deed by myself and have never really been pleased with the outcome. I’ve settled for some because they were less expensive only to have them wear out quickly. Others have lasted longer but left me feeling awkward in appearance. My husband suggested that I get fitted at a nice department store so I would remove all the guessing and disappointments. That’s where, in my mind, the embarrassment would come in, no thank you. But finally one day I did. Of course…
-
Confidence
I watched a movie a few months ago called, “I feel pretty.” It was about a girl who had no confidence, then bumped her head and she had it. What she did with it was amazing at first, but her confidence was found in beauty and it didn’t last. I’ve thought about the movie often and I know I don’t always have the confidence I should. We have confidence that comes from our identity in Christ and it will always be. But I don’t always live in that confidence. Shortly after watching the movie I had a dream that I was in a room with a lot of people, a…
-
Security System
Last summer we had a home security system installed. It took learning a new phone app and some tutorials on how to operate the home screen, but it works great. The system warns if there is fire or water problems, intruders, doors left open and even has a microphone and video recording. The system is armed for two different scenarios, staying or leaving (coming or going). There is a key phrase that has to be said in order to clear the alarm and an access code to open and close doors. At first it seemed a bit overwhelming and I set the alarm off a few times when I forgot…
-
Character Building
My co-worker Hannah shared with me the other day that she had heard a message at church where the minister called daily frustrations or set-backs as Character Building opportunities. We laughed about it and I thought it was a positive way to explain things. Yesterday was a Character Building day. It began at 2:30 am when the neighbors car alarm went off for 20 minutes. It startled me and I instantly jumped out of bed to see what was going on and make sure it wasn’t my car. As it continued it’s loud horn and flashing lights I wondered how long it would take the owner to turn it off…
-
Well done!
Sunday at church the message was about accountability and the Pastor referenced the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. I’ve heard this story many times and this particular day it was especially beautiful. A short video was shown of the parable and that brought the message to life. After the first servant brought the talents to the master and showed how he had increased the amount his master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness. He put his arm around the servant and invited him in to celebrate.…
-
M&M Moments
On a cool Saturday morning in January I was pleasantly surprised to see all the sunshine, a little warmer temperature and some birds singing! It made me smile and I took a moment to enjoy it and say, “Thank you Lord, this is so nice.” I went inside and enjoyed a few cups of delicious hot coffee and visited with my husband. We had slept in after a long work week and it felt great to just relax for a moment. Then the phone rang and the moment was over. A client needed some immediate assistance so I would have to go to the office. While mentally making a list…
-
Compassion Lived Out
This week I was able to witness a very beautiful and at the same time heartbreaking scene. While at the viewing of a dear friend’s son, I was sitting with my friend when her mother was brought over to her in a wheelchair. Her mother gently reached for her daughter’s hand and held it while asking her daughter how she was holding up. Through tears she replied that she was okay. She told her daughter how sorry she was that she was going through all this pain and sorrow and that she would be right there with her just like the daughter had been for her, when her son, the…
-
Imagine
This morning I was sitting in front of my laptop praying about what to write and thinking of all the things going on in our country at the present moment. The government has be shut down for over 30 days, severe weather is hitting the Midwest and East Coast, new abortion laws were passed, people are protesting and so much more. It all seems so unsettling. While thinking about all of those issues I began to read through notes from a bible study and came across this: “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight…
-
Jesus Wept
Yesterday I was viewing a few blog posts from the Proverbs 31 Ministries. One that really stood out to me was by Liz Curtis Higgs called “When God Cries.” She referred to John 11:35 -“Jesus wept,” in her post and shared her story of losing her brother. That verse has long held a special place in my heart. It was one that I clung tightly to after Brock went to be with Jesus. I knew that He felt my pain and knowing that the Savior of the world understood what I was going through, gave me comfort. In the article she commented that Jesus was distressed, enraged in the spirit,…