Category Archives: My Thought Closet

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How to Face Your Lions

One of the highlights of my whole entire life was getting to pet lion cubs in South Africa! Yes, I got to get down on the ground with those cute little… well, chunky… big guys!  They were just 6-month-old cubs and they were sleepy from the warm sun and their full bellies after lunch! I got to cradle their huge paws in my hands and stroke their ears!

They were so docile and sweet – as cuddly and compliant as a harmless stuffed animal in a baby’s crib!!

They aren’t always going to be so docile and snuggly. Nope. If I had hung out in their den for even another hour, giving them time to wake up from their naps, they would have been intimidating. And, if I gave them even a few weeks or months, they would eventually become snarly and fierce beasts that any sane adult should avoid.

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How to Know If Your Brain Has Too Many Windows Open — and 2 Ways to Fix It

“I need the uh, um, I mean I found the… uh, what is wrong with me?! Why can’t I remember what I was going to say and why I came in this room to say it?” My husband just chuckled because he’s used to this by now.

But, I am not used to this yet! I feel like my brain goes in slow motion and words have to be coaxed out of me like a reluctant puppy when the car parks at the vet.

Is this a symptom of aging? Or maybe it’s just the result of an overworked brain? I just can’t multi-task like I used to!

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Don’t Worry, God is In Charge of Those Who Are In Charge

Last November was an election like no other! The voters’ voices were heard, the protesters concerns were noted and now, the ballots are counted, the Electors have voted and… ta-da! (or uh-oh) Inauguration Day is almost here!

Now, if the election went your way, well, all that is just groovy! But, if you didn’t want Trump to be the president, well then Inauguration Day may flat-out depress you.

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Stop Starting New Habits This Year

I heard recently, “Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits.” Uh, that’s me — guilty! When the calendar turned from 2016 to 2017, many of us — me included— turned our focus to what we want to “start” doing or what new habits we want to “begin.”

I made a list of resolutions. I narrowed it down to the doable. I chose the one biggie and I tried really hard and… well… my old habits have tagged along into this new year, uninvited, unwelcome, but here they are!  I think that is because most of the time, we need to let go of old habits  so the new habits can have a place to grow.

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4 Problems Worse Than Blindness

I get asked all the time what the hardest thing about being blind is. People naturally assume it’s not being able to drive or read or… well, there are a million things that are really hard about being blind. Bruises. Isolation. Dependence. Those are some things about blindness that are really, really hard. But, then there’s having to constantly manage my frustration with being slow at tasks or even flat-out unable to do something without help.

Yep, it totally stinks.

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Your 5 Favorite Blog Posts from 2016

What a year it has been! When I think about the ups, the downs, and the in-betweens, there’s been this overwhelming theme throughout it all — the Lord has worked and been so very present. I’m so thankful in that what has been a tough year in some ways has also been an opportunity to experience God’s faithfulness. He is so good.

And I’m so thankful for you! Each one of you. Thank you for joining me for Java every week. It feels like we are truly on this journey together, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of sisters to join me. So, as the year winds down, I figured I would feature the blogs you liked the best from this past year! Let’s just sample a few sips of Java from 2016 together — maybe they will be sweeter the second time, and if you’re new to this great bunch of coffee buddies, pour yourself a tall something that is warm and refreshing, pull up a chair and enjoy a cup of inspiration… five cups, to be exact!

Your 5 Favorite Blog Posts of 2016 [Click to Tweet]
If something you read inspires or encourages you, pass it on to someone who else who may need it. Simply click on the title to read each post.