Intentional Rest 12/8/2021 - The holiday season is upon us, and that means one thing - we are busy! Shopping, decorating, baking and a host of other activities are all fighting for our attention as we celebrate the Christmas season. But, if you are someone struggling through a storm right now, the holidays and all it entails can feel like a heavy burden. It is one more thing on your already overloaded plate fighting for your attention. It is just one more thing you have to somehow summon the energy and focus for, and for some of you, that just feels impossible... Read more
The Original Giver 12/1/2021 - Here we are smack dab in the middle of the holiday shopping season. As gift-givers, we often put a ton of pressure on ourselves to give the gift that gets the biggest reaction. We want to be the holiday hero! If you have young children, you may even be just a tad bit envious that the big guy in red gets your well-deserved glory… As a toy shop owner and grandmother of MANY, that pressure is real. But here’s what I’ve been asking myself as of late: Is it better to give than to receive?... Read more
The Saul In Me 11/24/2021 - Everyone’s favorite redemption story, an Apostle, credited for writing almost half of the New Testament...it’s Paul, y’all! I can relate to Paul...a good redemption story, me too! Born again and wild for Jesus, me too! A new name, me too! But what about Saul? He just doesn’t seem like my kind of guy. I just can’t relate to terrorizing Jesus followers... Read more
Highlight Reel 11/17/2021 - Do you have a “highlight reel”? You know that video record of all your best plays, shining moments, greatest achievements, victories, etc., etc., etc. I literally have one. Now, I’m so old it’s on VHS tape (yes kids, a small “reel” of film which contains video images) and have no way of looking at it today since my last functional VHS player died over a decade-and-a-half ago of old age. The “tape” was generously compiled by a couple of my high school football coaches to help aid in getting me recruited to play quarterback at the next level. Now here’s the dangerous thing about my “highlight reel”-it’s just the highlights! Plenty of touchdown passes, but not one incompletion, and certainly not any of my record setting interceptions. Plenty of first downs gained but not one “3-and-out”. Plenty of victorious moments, but no record of crushing defeats anywhere to be found. The highlight reel, by definition, is intentionally deceptive. It seems odd that a football coach would recruit me, or anyone, based on images of just how good I was without knowing how bad I could be. It wasn’t the whole picture of who I was as a football player... Read more
Label Maker 11/10/2021 - When my oldest was little, I worked full time. I needed everything to be tidy and to have a home so my life would be easier. Even before Tristan could read, we made pictures of his toys to become labels for where they would go. A picture of an army guy for the action figure drawer, a picture of a car for where his matchbox cars would belong, etc. You get the idea...We do the same thing. We put labels on people... Read more