Tags for parent, family, relationships, empty nesting, friends, family, etc. will be included here. It could include students, fellow teachers, etc.
The YouTube videos made it look like an easy DIY project. I managed to make framing our bathroom mirrors difficult. A reflection of me? Continue reading The One Thing I Needed to Guarantee My DIY Project Succeeded
It’s Valentine’s Day and I’m writing about a Christmas long ago. Why? Because it’s all about the love. Continue reading We Love Him Because He Loved Us First–and Most
Jefferson Starship had it right, “Sara, Sara, no time is a good time for goodbyes…” But Tori, our cat, made the time as ‘good’ as she could. Continue reading Her Death Was a Good One, But We Weren’t Ready to Say Goodbye
Maybe you and your spouse shared the same faith when you married, but your pursuit of God now looks completely different. Here’s what to do. Continue reading If Your Spouse Doesn’t Share Your Faith, What Do You Do?
If you struggle with faithfulness to your own health and fitness, I’d recommend you find your own Connie. Or join our happy team. We’ve got enough yarn. Continue reading The Most Important Fabric of My Gym Life Is Made of Yarn
It was an”eggsiting” day at the Dagens house on Easter, time for the annual egg hunt. We were determined that this egg hunt would be joyful and equal — and tear-free. But would we get to that result? And what means would we use to get there? That is the story! Continue reading Who Knew Their Hunt for Eggs Could Have Eternal Significance?
People who knew my mother tell me I remind them of my mother — in my looks, my mannerisms, and in the way I speak. This mark was one more way I was like her. Continue reading Out of All the Memories I Could Keep, This Was the One
I was asking my stylist to draw the correct conclusion about a flattering style and shape for my hair without seeing the full picture. Without seeing my face. She did her best. Continue reading I’ll Hide My Face and Let You Guess My Best Hairstyle
I want to discuss a privilege I don’t consider political — because it is available to everyone who wants it. I want to help you want it so you can experience it too. Continue reading May I Put My Positive Spin on Christian Privilege?
A single event, one night when I was a lonely teenager, changed the trajectory of my life. You are welcome, he said, just as you are. And I accepted the invitation. Continue reading Ping Pong and Purpose Softened My Heart for Jesus
If you knew saying “hello” to a stranger would make the world a kinder, friendlier place for someone else, would you initiate the effort? Continue reading You Might Have Had Me at Hello, Except You Never Said It
I don’t handle criticism well. I aim to be perfect to avoid criticism. I aim, not attain it. Which God knows. And (oh, my wounded pride) so does my husband. Continue reading Correction = Love in God’s Math, but It’s Harder Than Algebra
I have chosen “different” for my “Word of the Year.” As in, “How am I different because I choose to trust in God?” I ask questions; I seek Him for answers. Continue reading This Year’s Word Has the Power to Make Me Ask Difficult Questions
I might have looked at the stream of texts and phone calls as interruptions in my day, but instead, I saw them as a model for my life. Continue reading A Picture of Prayer When Your Life Depends on God
Sometimes I see beyond my husband’s superficial silliness to his real message — and God’s message. It’s well worth the insight! Continue reading What’s in Your ‘Book of Ailments’?
Going to a large party attended by people I wouldn’t know wasn’t my idea of a good time. Who knew it could be a “God time”? Well, probably, God. Continue reading This Is Why We Can Love Well
As I tediously wrapped lights around my tree, a lesson appeared before me. It seemed poetic, so a poem seemed fitting. May you, too, experience the light of Christmas today. Continue reading The Lesson From the Christmas Tree
Habits, like cats, inhabit our lives. They take whatever space we yield to them. The trick to keeping bad habits at bay? Fill the space with something else. Continue reading Guess What Happens If You Don’t Replace Bad Habits With New Ones?
All Things Work Together 