Last weekend, I had a very interesting conversation with a lady who serves as a Stephen minister at a congregation I was visiting for a Stephen Ministry workshop. As she was driving me to the airport for my trip home, we were processing the workshop and talking about h...

I have always struggled with how to do self-care well. I don’t have all the right answers, but I am slowly learning what self-care really means.

I struggle with burnout. During the endless days of family responsibilities, housework, meal planning and cooking, volunteeri...

When I was leaving the health club a few days ago, a mom and her young son were just coming in. The boy was dancing down the hall. When I saw him, I could not help but smile. He was so full of joy and happiness. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world. The boy dance...

The weather is changing this week, the cold air is on its way, we are taking out our heavier coats and putting on more layers. The squirrels are hiding their nuts, the birds and the geese are getting ready to fly south. Every time I see geese flying overhead, I am remi...

“Fear has always seemed to me to be the worst stumbling block which anyone has to face. It is the great crippler. Looking back, it strikes me that my childhood and my early youth were one long battle against fear. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every exp...

We have all had days when nothing goes right. The type of day where it gets worse as it progresses.  Days where you think; “nothing more can go wrong.” Alas, just as you feel that you have reached the bottom, another problem or issue arises. I am sure that you all know...

A few months ago, I woke up with a terrible pain in my lower back. The type of pain that makes your whole body tense up and makes moving next to impossible.  I do not understand what I did to cause this back ache. What I knew was - it hurt. It hurt a lot. If you have e...

I learned some of the most valuable lessons about how to be present to myself and to others from my cat. We adopted our first cat, Buddy, about 3 years ago. I wasn’t sure that I would like having a cat, as I always considered myself a dog person. But a year after our d...

Last week my husband and I helped our daughter pack up and move for her sophomore year in college. This week we were helping my son pack and leave for his first year in graduate school. As we were doing all of the necessary shopping for both children, I noticed the dec...

In our previous blog, Maryanne talked about how human beings were created to be a part of a community. We cannot do this thing called life on our own. Being a part of a caring community is especially important when a crisis comes along and turns our lives upside down....