Teetering on the Edge of a New Year (Revised)

https://www.lpm.org/music/2023-12-29/mels-diner-goodbye-to-2023 (This post is revised from "Teetering on the Edge of New Year", posted January 2021. https://peripheralwisdom.com/2021/01/ ) I am one of those annoying people who truly like and appreciate New Year's Resolutions. When I was growing up, I wrote HUGE lists of resolutions for each New Year. Back then, those resolutions were things like find a … Continue reading Teetering on the Edge of a New Year (Revised) →

GOODNESS

There’s a popular Christian worship song called “Goodness of God” by Bethel Music. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f4MUUMWMV4 ) A group that I record with is working up an acappella version of this song right now, and we have fallen in love with the music and the lyrics of this song. In my last post I mentioned that I … Continue reading GOODNESS →

ENLARGE

I started doing a thing this week. It's a “Pray A Word A Day” study published by Guideposts that I am finding really intriguing and helpful as I work to smooth out more of my (many) rough edges. No matter how old we get, there are still things about our attitudes and behaviors that need … Continue reading ENLARGE →

Good Friday During a Pandemic (COVID-19)

https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/easter/when-is-good-friday.html I’ve seen a lot of Easter weeks come and go in my lifetime, and I have to say, Holy Week 2020 has got to be the strangest one ever. This week has seen people’s emotions and attitudes ping pong all over the place because of our current need to isolate and live life radically … Continue reading Good Friday During a Pandemic (COVID-19) →

A Different Kind of Joy

The joy of the Lord is my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10) No, seriously, it is. The more our faith matures, the more we REALLY understand that the joy that comes from our faith in God is different than anything else. It doesn't depend on circumstances or "happiness" or what other people do or don't do. It … Continue reading A Different Kind of Joy →

WHAT IF…

WHAT IF when we come together as a church, we put all the other messy, icky “stuff” aside and just focused on our two main reasons for being there: 1. Worshiping God 2. Encouraging each other WHAT IF WE… … put our focus on edifying God the entire time, through our attitudes and actions? … … Continue reading WHAT IF… →

The Importance of Facing Your Fears

Fear can paralyze you. Coming home from the YMCA last evening, after a much needed workout, I heard something on the radio that really made me think. The station was running an advertisement for some seminar or speaking engagement or book signing or something, and the ad guy made a statement that kind of shocked me. … Continue reading The Importance of Facing Your Fears →

Three (4) Things About… PATIENCE

THREE (4) THINGS ABOUT… PATIENCE Earlier today, a friend of mine was telling me about the preparations she was making for some upcoming daycare evaluations by the state licensing board. The conversation was going along pretty much as you’d expect. But then she started talking about coloring. And soup. She was concerned about the … Continue reading Three (4) Things About… PATIENCE →

Three (4) Things About… Feeling Overwhelmed

Feeling overwhelmed? If so, you aren’t alone. Even though many of us have just had some vacation time during the holidays, and only 11 days ago started a New Year full of optimism and commitment, a bunch of us are feeling anything but encouraged and rested. It’s common – and really frustrating – to find yourself … Continue reading Three (4) Things About… Feeling Overwhelmed →

Three Things About… DEALING WITH GRIEF

Have you ever experienced grief so heavy and heart-wrenching that it was hard to breathe? So overwhelming and impactful that colors seemed duller, sounds less vibrant, and experiences less fulfilling than they did “before”? Did you start to believe that you’d never feel happy again, never be able to be “normal” again? Did you ever … Continue reading Three Things About… DEALING WITH GRIEF →