Personal Growth

  • Motivation,  Personal Growth

    Face the Dead Ends in Life

    How do you face the dead ends in life?  Do you turn around, do you throw up your hands in frustration, or do you ask a friend for help? Dead ends make me think of the book, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.  When faced with an obstacle, the family considers their options, “We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, so we have to go through it.” There are so many times that we have to face the dead ends in life, those instances in life that we can’t go over, under, or around.  The only choice we have is to address the issue…

  • Bible Verses to Comfort,  Personal Growth

    From Glancing to Gazing Upward

    Stargazing has been around for as long as I can remember, but it really should be called star glancing.  If you are anything like me, you occasionally look at the stars. Now imagine the last time you really gazed at something.  What would it be like to reprioritize our glancing to gazing? When I put out the request for favorite Bible verses, Ricky Phillips was the first person to respond with his verse choice of Psalm 121:1-2.  “I will lift up my eyes to the hills — From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”  Brother Ricky adds, “No matter what happens,…

  • Forgiveness,  Personal Growth

    Finding Forgiveness

    Finding Forgiveness Takes Time It took eighteen years for me to realize the peace of forgiveness.  True forgiveness requires reaching deep and pulling from the heart.  Finding the willpower to forgive is like a picky person resolving to finally eat vegetables.  Both are hard yet necessary.  The Call You Never Want I will always remember where I was & what I was doing “when I got the call” that my sister had passed away. It was a Thursday in June and Becky, my dad, and I met for lunch on June 14, 2001.  Becky told us a coworker was having a get together after work. Becky decided to attend the…

  • Personal Growth

    When Your Best Deserves Better

    Have you ever tried, tried, and tried in a relationship and feel like you take 2 steps forward & ten backwards?  This can be a relationship with a family member, friend, or even a coworker.  I frequently tell my son that at the end of the day, you can only control how you act & react to people & situations.  You cannot change other people.  That last part is still a struggle for me.  I guess in reality, this is easier said than done.  I’ve focused on some people being hard to love but in reality, I guess maybe I’m the hard one.  I have picture perfect ideas of how people…