What About Me?
When in Romans . . .
Because I tend to obsess on negative things, I try to change it up and obsess on something worthwhile. This year it’s Romans, chapter 12* which I try to read every 2018 morning. Truth be told I am such a child that I can only digest a weighty chapter per sitting which amounts to one Dick and Jane book at a time – over and over and over. It works cuz some of us need a daily reset. I’m lovin’ it. You?…
Looks Bad on Paper
Years ago, about ten rows back in the auditorium a tearful mom talked to me after a school presentation on the dangers of alcohol and other drugs. “I don’t do anything that matters,” she said. “I’m so consumed with my son’s drug problem.” I could relate to the moon and back having felt that way to be sure. It gave new perspective to hear her say it out loud. What she does matters — she loves someone.
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What Helped Me
Once a month we have our Just Keep Going Parents Prayer hour. Strewn on the 6′ x 8′ table are white paper tents with the parent’s first name written in Sharpie, a slash mark and their child, niece, grandson or granddaughter or friend’s child who is using alcohol and/or other drugs, has mental health issues, or is in early recovery. There are over twenty-five pieces of paper with probably fifty names. Then we verbally add more from the lists in our head – kids we know who are using and others who are discovering recovery. We pray a lot of things for a lot of young people in that sixty minutes, but the best part is…
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Nothing is Perfectly Perfect
We bought a fixer-upper condo. “No big deal!” we exclaimed with abandon. “After we do this condo let’s flip more condos!” Yeah, okay, that’s not happening. It’s been five months of fixing up and I’m to the point where my mind needs fixing up. Right off the bat, I know these are what I call Princess Problems aka First World Problems. Stay with me until the moral of the story.…
Leaving Ourselves Alone
When Ted was in his dark days I pulled down the shades of my life too. The phone would ring and I’d shout at it, “Leave me alone! I’m busy being sad. I just need to be by myself and be so, so sad.”
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