Common-sense grace for the try-hard girl
I’m loyal by nature. I never wavered from my first-grade decision to attend Texas A&M, now my alma mater. I’ve had the same best friend for 20 years and the same husband for 19. This try hard girl is in it for the long haul, y’all. But my loyalty has its downfall—I’ve lived with one […]
“Everything is needful that He sends; nothing can be needful that He withholds.” – John Newton Newton had it right: God gave you what you needed and protected you from what you didn’t this year. And as I reflect on the past 365 days, a few things have become clear. Friends, here’s what worked for […]
Take a minute to imagine this with me… You have two kids, and you want to make their Christmas magical. You hatch the best plan, 25 days of Christmas, that includes an activity, craft, or treat each day. You’re excited to create Christmas traditions and make memories. In walks reality. A few days in, your […]
Am I settling? You’ve asked this of yourself, and if you’re honest, you’ve judged others about it too. Did I settle for this job because it’s not what I had in mind? Did she settle for that guy just so she could get married? Is he content with his life or did he just give […]
I just can’t mom today. I can’t make another meal they’ll barely eat. I can’t drive to one more activity. I can’t hear them arguing one more time. I just can’t. Being mom is too hard today. My body begs to lay on the couch in the fetal position. My stomach is growling for junk […]
I can’t find my car keys. My phone is who knows where. We’re late. Someone can’t find a shoe, and I have a project on deadline. I’ve dropped all the balls in all the familiar ways, which causes me to berate my own little heart not extend love to it. Blergh. What’s a try-hard girl […]
Via flannel graph, I was taught in Sunday School to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others,” a passage from Philippians 2:3–4. While my Sunday School teachers were fabulous, my […]
After the girls are in bed, I escape daily routines by reading a few pages of a book, sneaking a square of “mama’s-reserve” chocolate, drinking a glass of wine on the back porch, or watching The Office (Oh, Michael Scott, Best Boss Ever). It tastes sweet to step away from the ordinary, to create distance […]
Three little words: Cherish every moment. I wanted to know how these three little words made women feel, so I asked with the intent of writing a ranting post entitled, “Why I’m not going to cherish every moment.” As I sifted through all the Facebook comments, it was clear that this was a hot button […]
The phrase “self-compassion” sounds so, so, so… self-indulgent. My grandparents survived the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression, so genetically, I’m predisposed to hard work and productivity. My Protestant work ethic, which emphasizes industriousness and discipline, has me believing that self-compassion is a code word for laziness and navel-gazing. Blech. But here’s the deal: compassion […]
