I was eighteen-years-old when I started getting called “Ma’am.” I was a third-class cadet, having survived the first year at the Coast Guard Academy and arrived at the point where there was a class below me on the totem pole. Now, I am forty-three, and I am often referred to as a girl. When I... Continue Reading →
I’m not a people person. I have trouble saying the right thing in the best of times, so I am really at a loss when a person is upset or going through difficulty. My personal strengths are learning and problem solving, not showing sympathy. I don’t like this about myself. I excel at my job,... Continue Reading →
Last week, I postulated that these times are not actually more uncertain than any others, we are simply more aware of the uncertainty than usual. I have heard recently that some businesses are making plans to keep offices closed into next year, while retailers are planning to not have Black Friday in November. I am... Continue Reading →
While these are serious times in our world, I can’t help but find amusement in peoples' responses. I know I am not the only one who has found occasion to laugh. The greatest source of humor is people whose attempts to protect themselves from disease are actually exposing them more. This is the case of... Continue Reading →
As I was praying the other morning, it occurred to me that my bedroom window faces east. I thought of the prophet Daniel, who “got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks,” doing so from “his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem.” (Daniel... Continue Reading →
Sometimes I feel like I have a split personality. One moment, I am on my knees pleading with God to mold me into the woman He wants me to be. Then, before I know it, I am biting my tongue as impatience and frustration overwhelm me. I started off the week reflecting on this battle... Continue Reading →
There is an old joke about a Sunday School teacher describing a squirrel in an object lesson. A child knew the description sounded like a squirrel, but still felt the right answer had to be Jesus. These days, I am learning that Jesus has a single right answer for me; the answer always seems to... Continue Reading →
I didn’t used to consider myself to be an ambitious person. I never had high aspirations for career achievement or wealth. But I realize that a change has occurred, and ambition has crept up on me. This is likely a result of improved mental and spiritual health. I now have a desire to do and... Continue Reading →
Over the past couple of years, I found myself praying for humility. It feels more dangerous than praying for patience. My fear and expectation is that God will use personal humiliation to teach me that I am not the little goddess my human nature thinks I am. I had a co-worker who would get after... Continue Reading →
Chosen Committed Complete 