Are You Exhausted? {the why and how of a day of rest}

Are you exhausted? It's okay if you are. Really. Because let's face it, there are days (or even weeks) when we are beyond tired. And we can either ignore it or admit it. I, for one, firmly believe admitting it is the first step toward establishing a better plan for next time. And, if we're really honest, we want to figure out how to avoid ending up in this place again, right? If we wish to have a weekday of rest, it will no longer happen as a societal default. It will happen only as a ... [Read More]

Take Care of Yourself

Welcome to Day 19 of 31 Ways to Embrace Lopsided Living! This is the post where I tell you to do what I say, not what I do. Because, honestly, I am awful at this. Especially right now when I'm frantically working to finish my manuscript. I told a friend last night, "I'm basically running on coffee and chocolate." The worst part is, this was in a conversation we were having about going to the gym. So, yeah, seriously, I'm not here to judge or lecture. But I can't really write about living ... [Read More]

Lopsided Living Allows Us to Live at Rest

Welcome to day 4 of 31 Simple Ways to Embrace Lopsided Living! I hope today finds you well rested. Yesterday was my 45th birthday so Scott and I spent the afternoon together and then he grilled the most amazing chicken and pork loin for all three of us for dinner. I always make a pumpkin pie for my birthday and last night I made homemade cinnamon whipping cream to go with it. Delish!! I tell you all of that to say this: I had A TON of stuff that needed to get done yesterday. My book ... [Read More]

{ABIDE Day 3} 10 Ways to Intentionally Slow Down

Well, y'all, we've made it to the third day of ABIDE.  So far we've looked at two steps for learning what it is to abide in Christ. Acknowledge Him First Bring Burdens to Him We've covered how important it is to commit to daily time in the Word and 3 truths we need in order to lay our burdens down with the Lord.  Today's step is going to be hard for all us busy people. In fact, you are probably going to think I'm crazy ... but don't click away just yet. Remember, I've got the crazy calendar ... [Read More]

{ABIDE Day 2} Bring Burdens to Him

Welcome to day two of ABIDE, a five-step plan to start the new year intentionally. Yesterday, I shared the most important step we must take if we are serious about learning to abide in Christ: acknowledge Him first.  A daily quiet time is vital to our spiritual growth and, honestly, there is no way to mature in our faith outside of a commitment to time in the Word every day. But, here's the thing ... even when we are faithful to read the Bible every day, even when we are praying and ... [Read More]

What Really Matters This Week

Y'all, it's only Monday and I'm already exhausted. We've been basically going non-stop this summer.  Between trips and camps and church activities and getting my parents moved to Alabama, I am t.i.r.e.d. Our church is having Vacation Bible School this week so we'll be busy with that every night. And my girl has some oral surgery scheduled for this week also. It would be easy to make a big list of things to do this week.  After all, school is starting in just a few weeks and that means we ... [Read More]