6 Ways to Overcome Sadness

“We’re overcome with deep sadness to be at this point.”

That was my friend’s response to the hard place she and her husband had found themselves.

Her beloved mother had been in and out of institutions because of mental illness and now, they had to make a hard, soul-tearing decision about her guardianship.

For years, they rallied, they loved, they emptied their savings for the best treatment centers, and they fought, trusted, and never gave up hope. And, now they felt like they were giving up her mom to an uncertain future.

3 Ways to Get Your Happy On

Do you ever choose a word for the year? I do! I pick one so I can take the whole year to learn it, live it, receive it, and understand it!

So, what was my word for this year?

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Happy.

Not long after I picked that word, though, I broke my finger and my hero dad passed away. Those aren’t exactly ingredients for happiness, huh?

A broken finger was a painful annoyance, but losing my dad broke my heart. Even so, in the midst of it all, I am still learning what it means to be happy.

The Joy of the Lord Was Our Strength – FGF Highlights Hattiesburg, MS

Have you ever walked into a room where you could just feel the joy, and you knew there was some kind of happy buzz among all the people around you? Well, if you were at Fresh Grounded Faith in Hattiesburg this past weekend, your answer is a big happy yes!

The Joy of the Lord Was Their Strength – FGF Highlights Hattiesburg, MS jpg

Thank you to Cassidy Monk for the beautiful photos! To see the entire album on Facebook click here. For those of you who joined in the photo booth fun, you can access your photos here.

Girl, the women who attended FGF Hattiesburg were happy, happy, happy! It was deeper than the buzz you get from sweet tea and deeper than the happy that comes from a sunshiny day.

How to Dream Big (Like a 6-Year-Old)

When my son Connor was six years old, he wrote a hilarious Christmas wish list.

I still remember his creativity and boldness in choosing the many, many, many, many items. I smile when I think back to the wintery day he asked to get out my laptop and type out his Christmas list for him. He stayed serious and thoughtful as he dictated each item.

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When I found it recently, I laughed out loud and thought you may get a kick out of it too.

Fighting Back with Joy and Sweet Tea – FGF Highlights, Lenoir City, TN

It is so good to be back in Fresh Grounded Faith season! What a fun group of ladies! I love those Tennessee sisters — they make me feel like I’ve come home to hang out with my BFFs that I haven’t seen in years. It was exactly what we needed for our first FGF this month. God is good.

Here are a few photos from our weekend. To see the entire album, click here. Thank you, Vicki Simmons, for the beautiful photos! Also, here are your photo booth pics. So fun!

Our volunteers rocked, as did their fearless leader, Sabrina Stamper. Big thanks to all of you! And while I’m at it, thank you to First Baptist Church Lenoir City and the four co-host churches for loving us so well.

And I had some of my favorite people with me this weekend…

When Resentment Steals Your Joy: 4 Questions and 1 Prayer

Resentment. We all feel it from time to time.

It’s like the invisible undertow in the ocean that sweeps away even the most experienced swimmer. It pulls at us. It sucks us down into a pit of bitterness.

We hold a grudge. We secretly fume about what he said or she did. We keep a running list of how we’ve been wronged. We review how we’ve been hurt.

It is subtle until it is sudden.