Do you remember how your husband asked you to marry him? Can you recall why you said, “Yes” to him? Do you remember the special things about him that made your heart skip a beat, your tummy feel funny, and your breath catch? I promise that those memories ARE somewhere inside your brain and heart. …
I Remember the Time… The lunge line was in one hand, the end of the rope in the other. I quietly told my horse to lunge (walk a circle) around me to the left. She did this. Then she sprung into the air, and started to gallop. Mane tossed in the wind. Eyes wide. Both …
Disappointed? With yourself? With God? I get this… The college sophomore stared back at me in the mirror. Who was she? I had no idea. But I needed to find out – and fast. Back in the dark ages, when I attended university, credits got counted by quarters. I’d been floundering for five quarters, unable …
This week we take a break from the dares, because honestly, I am floored by how quickly the days are moving. I’ve been trying to figure out summer with kids, wrestling with emotions, driving people around, putting out fires, dealing with gardens, and trying to keep first things first. And this week – the Fourth …
Having children is called a blessing in the Bible. It can also ruin your marriage. And not surprisingly, research actually supports this – marital satisfaction declines after children are born, and increases when they are all gone. For me, having kids in their teens and twenties has proven as emotionally exhausting as it was physically …
Got Friends? You could take one look at me as an 11 year-old and feel my pain. I often stood at the fence outside the school, dreading another day of torturous interaction with my classmates. I had gangly arms and legs and my too-big-tortoise-shell glasses dominated my small face. I’d stand outside the fence as …
Several years ago, I facilitated a retreat that equipped organizational leaders to effectively handle conflict. We spent a good deal of time talking about some of the behaviors of people in the organization. God used the opportunity to remind me of something. Many of the issues and problems that ALL organizations face are due to …
Reading through a journal entry from 4 years ago, I came upon this experience in trusting Him – even when the stakes were high. Seeing the connection to our Dare #5 work, I wanted to share it with you. July 15, 2013 Today is the day. We packed up clothes for the week, and a …
Of all the dares in the book, Dare 5 strikes the most nerves. A child is injured. Mom saw it coming. Choose to Trust God? She chose to stay out of His way, and God showed up to teach her husband something. But what if it had been worse? Could you have trusted God’s goodness …
Negative or Positive? What do you actually DO? I mean, are we supposed to just run around giving compliments like crazy? In research done by Dr. John Gottman, we learn that marriages that are considered “happy” have a number of things in common. Here’s just a few: A complete absence of contempt 5 “positive” interactions …