You know those seasons or circumstances in life that you find out you were never prepared for? I was never really prepared for motherhood. I was never really prepared to lose a baby. I was never really prepared to be divorced. I was never really prepared to be a single mom. I was never really prepared to have to go back to school - twice. I was never really prepared to raise two teenage boys alone. I was never really prepared to have both of my sons leave home at the same time - permanently, making me an empty nester overnight. I was never really prepared to be a mother-in-law. I was never really prepared to be a grandmother. I was never really prepared to have my son move halfway across the country. And I was definitely never prepared for some of the heartaches I've ... View Post
Books, Bacon, & Friendship
Dear ThumbPrint News, I'll never forget the day I was sitting in the corner booth at Fox Fire Fixin's in Algonac, Michigan and met owners, Al and Diane Kodet. We exchanged contact information and within a couple of weeks, they invited me to start writing for the ThumbPrint News. For so many years now, I've gone through my days and weeks, and tried my best to come up with encouraging words, and finding stories that cause one to go from tears to laughter unexpectedly because everyone who knows me, knows that "laughter from tears is my favorite emotion!" (A quote from Steel Magnolias - one of my all time favorite movies). Over the years, I've received letters from people nearby, and a few from those several states away - every one of them filled with encouraging words - to me! I'm a ... View Post
Hasten the Day!
We had a little fun this past weekend at church, discussing John 20:6-7. Here's the scene... Mary Magdalene had come to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb. She ran and told Simon Peter and John that she believed Jesus had been taken out of the tomb, and she didn't know where He was. So John and Simon Peter went to see what was going on, but when they got to the tomb, all they saw were the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth that had been on Jesus' head were not lying with the linen cloths, but were instead, folded up nicely in a place by themselves. Lots of ideas flew around the room. Who would rob a grave, and stop to neatly fold the linen cloth the body was wrapped in? A thief ... View Post
Stewarding Time (and breaths, too!)
A letter came yesterday from my bank informing me that I had written more checks, and made more debit transactions than I had money to cover. In a panic, I sat down at the kitchen table with a notebook, pencil, highlighter, and my checkbook, and painstakingly went over every single entry for the past year or more. It turns out, I have not recorded 99% of my transactions for a long, long time. I forgot to record almost every single one of my paychecks, and missed recording most of my debits and record the checks I'd written, so it finally caught up with me this month, and I am THOUSANDS of dollars in trouble, including FEES for bouncing checks. None of my utility bills were paid, so I will have my water, gas, internet, and electric shut off. They also want to repossess my car, and ... View Post
You’re Going To Die
Yeah, I figured that subject line would get some attention. But it's true! We're all going to die! Returning home from Book Club tonight, I texted my friend and said I felt "all fired up." The book? Costi Hinn's "God, Greed, & the Prosperity Gospel." You guys, it's sooooo good! You should read it! As always, there was lively discussion (and sweet fellowship), and someone brought up the fact that in the Prosperity Gospel, there is no room for, no discussion of, no acceptance of ... death. If you die, well then, your faith wasn't strong enough, your prayers weren't long enough, you didn't really believe what you were claiming (in Jesus' name).... and the list goes on. This is a FALSE GOSPEL. But death is real, and all of us will face it. And while it was good, ... View Post
“Just” a Nurse
"What pours out of people when they get bumped, was always there." That's what my Pastor says. And while it's often easier to see examples of that in others, it's true of ourselves too. How many times have I said something in anger, only to regret it less than five minutes later. It shouldn't be so - but it is. It's true of all of us. "Are you a doctor? NO! You're JUST a nurse!" That's what was hollered at me yesterday. And yes, it rubbed me the wrong way. Anyone who has ever worked with me knows how I correct Moms and Wives when they say, "I'm just a housewife," or "I'm just a Mom." Those are some pretty doggone important credentials. When I see my grandkids running off the basketball court to fall ONLY into the arms of Mom who they instinctively know will speak words of ... View Post
Running with Scissors
Lyla and I were at the dining room table yesterday working on some craft projects with felt and a sewing needle when Maci, only two years old, climbed up onto the chair and saw a picture of a pair of scissors on the directions. "Scissors!" she said, and promptly got back down from the chair, went into the kitchen drawer, and returned with a pair of scissors in her little hands. "No, no, honey! Those will give you a big OW!!!" I took them from her, and she then proceeded to absolutely sob an absolutely heart-breaking, hard-to-catch-her-breath sob. She was not happy with Gummy! She wanted those scissors, and I was the person who took them from her. We did include her in the craft project, but we protected her from picking up the scissors again, and it didn't take long before she was ... View Post
Pursuing Humility With Everything We’ve Got
Several weeks ago while preaching through the Book of Luke, Pastor Bob was near the end of his sermon when he closed his Bible and took a few steps down from the pulpit. Whenever he does this, I feel as if I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for some big pearl of wisdom to get dropped into my lap. And as he steps down, it reminds me that he is one of us. He looks right at us, calls us "beloved," and then drops that pearl of wisdom into our hearts. This particular one from that sermon has simmered in my heart ever since; perhaps it has for you as well. He said, "Beloved - Pursue humility with everything you've got." Not only have I not stopped thinking about that statement, but I have sifted many of my thoughts, words, and even my calendar through those 7-1/2 words as well. I'm not ... View Post