Something Far Better Than Happiness
I’m having lunch with my husband and an older friend who joined us from out of town. He asks about my experience with God, my life in general, and my discussion with friends about personal happiness. He gently interrupts to offer some wisdom from an entire life of learning and growing in Christ. When my […]
Heard
Today, it’s just this word: heard. I’m amazed at David’s statement in Psalm 6 that “The Lord has heard my cry.” Isn’t it astounding that we have a God who listens to us? So many times in the Psalms, we see the repetition of this: “The Lord has heard.” If we knew that the Lord […]
5 Words for Today
Do you remember the power of the One Word Reminder for children? The one word houses an entire narrative. Saying the word “shoes” or “bed” or “teeth” alerts a child to what she needs to do and saves you from an entire monologue. When I applied the One Word Reminder to myself in 2010, I […]
In Increasing Measure
I love growing. I read so many self-improvement books because I value personal growth. I want to know what I’m aiming for in life and gather all the wisdom I can. I like writing in my journal personal growth goals, and today, I ponder this question: What does it mean to become a better person? […]
When You See the Changing Leaves, Think of This
This morning, I remembered one of my favorite Live with Flair moments from October, 2011. It’s the one where my friend, Cynthia taught me about a tree’s habit. Every time I see a tree in Autumn, I think about how my life takes shape and what I do to hinder or help this shaping. Thursday, […]
Perfect For You
The more women I meet, the more I love hearing how they have chosen to live their lives. I love all the different kinds of women I know: I know women who homeschool and keep the home; I know women who work-full time or part-time; I know women on the mission field; I know women […]
A Pure Motive: Love
I’ve been thinking lately about how ambition governed so much of my twenties and thirties. Achievement and recognition were so important to me. I chased after prestige at every turn. Speaking and writing and teaching were tainted with the ulterior motive of needing to feel important. When God healed those places in me that needed […]
Changing Your Desires
This morning I remember the power and freedom of asking God to change my desires to conform to what He wants for my life. I read Philippians 2:13 where we learn this: “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.” I pray that […]
You’re In a Funk Because You’re Not Writing
Sometimes my husband reminds me how happy I am when I’m writing novels (or anything really). If I’m in a funk, it’s because I’m not writing. I propose that we might increase our well-being today if we set the pen to the page and create a character with a problem that needs solving. I propose […]
You Missed Everything
My least favorite emails from students include these kinds of sentences: “I wasn’t in class this morning. Let me know if I missed anything important.” Or this: “I’m going to miss class Monday. Will I miss anything important?” Yes. Yes, you will miss everything important. What will you miss? I’m so glad you asked. You […]