Female in Motion

Last weekend was emotionally and physically exhausting. Our church hosted a funeral on Saturday morning, followed by a family carnival later that day. In addition to regular services on Sunday, it made for a very full weekend. When I'm feeling out of sorts, I re-read a Word document I created in 2010. It's titled, "A Letter From God." This missive reminds me that I am God's precious child, created with a unique purpose. Dearest Carol, I am taking the time to write you this letter, first because I know how much you enjoy getting mail, and second, because I feel there are some vital things I need to share with you. You call yourself weak, I call you sensitive. You call yourself loud, I call you audacious. You call yourself selfish, I call you an encourager. When you call yourself these negative terms you not only limit yourself, you also limit My ability to bless you and work in your life. I made you in My image, and I want you ...

Acts 20:33-35 (KJV) I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Growing up, my household was lively. Mom, Dad, four kids, a dog and a chameleon named Cleo, all lived in the house on Farmington Drive. There was a lot of noise and activity going on day to day. Some days, I craved a quiet space. Early on, I would clear out the shoes in the bottom of my closet, make a little nest with a pillow and blanket, close the door and read the day away. In this tiny nook, I found the peace I desired. This location was spartan, but effective. Everything I needed was there. During Christ's ministry here on earth, He traveled light. With not much more than the clothes on His back, He trave...

Summer of Simplicity When our daughters were much younger, their toy boxes overflowed with playthings. It seemed they spent more time looking for a toy to play with, rather than plain old playing. So The Hubster and I developed a strategy. Once a month, we had the girls put a few toys into a black plastic trash bag or opaque plastic bin. These were toys that Sarah & Rachel picked out themselves to store. No forcing allowed. After setting on a basement shelf for a month, we found the girls weren't so interested in looking inside the bins, much less playing with the old toys. They had the option of donating the toys to charity, or letting them set on the shelf a little longer. "Out of sight, out of mind" worked wonders in this instance. The trick was to make sure they did not see any of the toys during the first month. I made the mistake of buying clear bins the first time.  The object lesson learned by our girls (and their parents!), is that stuff we think is...