When our friends are hurting, there is always pressure to find the right thing to say. I've always had good intentions when I've said, "I'm praying for you" and "there is a reason for everything." However, these statements can do more harm than good. When someone is truly experiencing hardship they don't want to hear in that moment that there is a reason. They sometimes can't even stomach that thought if they are going through…

Joy  here and I didn't expect to end up in an hour conversation with my friend Karen this weekend when I asked her how she was doing. I didn't expect her to break down crying. I didn't expect her to say that she has been lonely and depressed for weeks. She seemed fine. But don't we all try to appear FINE when life gets tough? We put on a mask and try to go about…

How often have we used the insult "you throw like a girl." It's been around forever. Even as a girl, I still say it! However, have we ever thought about what that really means? It's saying that girls can't throw and that's not true! Why do we allow this insult that puts women down to be a part of our speech. We often add, "like a girl" and never think about what message this sends. One…

Living minimal isn't for everyone. Its not for people who like lots of stuff, have lots of stuff or feel the need to get more and more stuff. Its just for people who realize that having more "stuff" doesn't make you a better person, or a cooler person, it just makes you a person with more stuff than someone else. But having lots of stuff shouldn't define you and when I realized that, my minimalist…

Scott Hamilton is remembered as one of the best male figure skaters ever! Everyone knows that he is the man who can do backflips on ice, but not everyone knows that he is a devote Christian. His testimony blew me away when I got to hear it in church this Sunday. Scott has faced cancer and several brain tumors. His health issues almost took his life multiple times. Scott shared how he looks at his…

Ever had one of those moments that slap you in the face spiritually? I have. Sunday I was sitting at church when my pastor asked the question, "Do you believe, do you really truly deep down from the gut level BELIEVE?" Sitting there in service I began doing a little self examination and I thought to myself, do I really believe? Do I really truly buy into everything God is doing in my life, everything…