Life on the Tilt-a-Whirl I love a good thrill ride. A roller coaster that drops me almost straight down then flies through a loop and corkscrews out? Yep, sign me up for that. But, I really do not care for those spinny, twirly things.The Tea Cup ride is not for me, thank you. That wasn't always the case. I remember going to the fair with my sister and we'd ride the Orbitron over and over. It was so fun to lean against the spaceship walls and then float-slide up the sides as

Lessons from the Desert You know the tall cylindrical cactus with the sausage-like arms bent in near 90-degree angles? They're the quintessential cactus, the one we all picture when someone even mentions “cactus”. Those tree-tall spikey plants are native to the Sonoran Desert and are the symbol of the American Southwest. They're called Saguaro and they pretty much only grow in the desert region spanning Arizona, California and Mexico. I never thought much about them until a f

If ever there was a month symbolic of transition it would be September. Standing between summer and fall, September graciously ushers in new rhythms and routines. Still the days are warm, but now the nights are cool. Leaves are fading from green to yellow. A kind of hush falls over everything as yards empty out of children who are back in school. Campfires and starlight make the nights feel cozy. September feels like a gradual end to summer and a soft start to fall. Not

Funny thing happened last week. When I went to start my Momster Monday live session on Facebook. I wasn't ready. Well, technically, I was ready but my phone and internet connection were not. See, Gracey and I were carpooling because the Rose househould is once again down to 3 cars temporarily (long story, trust me we don't have time) and we were trying to minimize the back-and-forth driving between our house and town. So I planned to do my Live in the car while she was walk

Have you ever felt like you are just being shoved through life? Shoved through your day? Forced into things or feelings you weren't sure about, but here they are? The frantic thoughts that drive you crazy or the repetitive worries that keep you up at night? There's something pushing that shove along. Do you know what it is? Fear. The stressing over whether or not the baby will ever sleep through the night, the worry about your kid getting the right teacher at school, th

For a long time, I've recited my own nursery rhyme. It is the frazzled mama's version of "Hickory Dickory Dock" and "Hey Diddle Diddle". It goes like this: And the clock ran away with my mind. Catchy isn't it? It's copyrighted, so you can quote it, but it's all my original work. I know, I know, that English degree finally paid off. Ha! Seriously though, can you relate? Certainly I'm not the only one who has felt like there's just not enough time or like time is literall

Restless. Bored. Stuck. Unsettled. Unsure. Spiraling. All of these are very common feelings, especially at this time of year. The funny thing is, we don't talk about it and even fewer of us are willing to admit it. Seasonal Affective Disorder is not only for winter and it's not only sadness and depression, though that's what most of us think. There's a reason we call this time of year "the dog days of summer." Allow me to nerd out for a moment: the time between July 3 and Aug

Remember those Hair Club for Men commercials where the guy would say, "I'm not just the president, I'm also a client" ? That's been my reality lately. You don't become a doctor and suddenly no longer need medical care. You don't graduate from college, get your dream job and know exactly how to work in your chosen field. So, why do we think that achieving something means there's nothing left to learn or no more need for development or hard work? I'm not just a coach. I'm al

"Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither toil nor spin." Our day-to-day worries are simple yet we toil over them because at their root, the worries all come down to this: Who am I? Why am I here? What should I do? What should I be? The lilies of the field don't have brains, nervous systems, hormones. I know that. You know that. Jesus knows that. Yet, he still says, "consider...they neither toil nor spin." So many times I've read

The thing about life is: nothing stays the same very long. And seemingly, things change overnight. But what about those seasons when everything feels off-kilter and every step unsure? The weeks and months where life is unsettled and decisions drown your brain? When you're letting go of some things but also reaching towards new things? Transitions. They are everywhere. Transitions feel like stepping across a bridge suspended over a threatening sea. You can see where you're h

The posts below this one are from 2012-2016. If you've heard my story, you may remember that it's been 10 years since I've written a blog post. I still remember the day God asked me to put down the pen and turn my focus to homeschooling and my kids. I was sitting on our back deck -- the one we just tore down this summer -- writing an ode to our oak tree. It was a magnificent tree that provided shade and beauty to our backyard. Not long after I wrote about, that magificent tre

23 years ago, we were on the Big Island of Hawai'i for Thanksgiving as was our family tradition. But something happened on that trip that I'll never forget though I had no idea the significance it would hold in my life two decades later. We'd spent the afternoon at Magic Sands Beach on the Kona coast sunbathing, snorkeling and boogie boarding. Without question this little stretch of sand along Ali'i Drive was one of our favorite spots. The soft, pale yellow sand hugs the bay

The internet of the 21st century is creepy. With all the tracking apps and spyware, it's easy to feel creeped out by technology. I do, at least. I mean, seriously, a week or so ago, I sat down and planned an imaginary vacation. This is something I do from time to time. Pick a place, usually somewhere tropical, and pretend I'm going on vacation there. I look for flights, hotels, restaurants, you name it. And I plan the whole thing as if it were going to really happen. Anyhow

During the summer of my middle school years, I was on the swim team at our local tennis club. I was a strong swimmer, but not especially fast and certainly not fast enough to ever place or earn a ribbon. My talent, if you will, was holding my breath. I could easily swim the length of the Olympic size pool on just a breath or two. And I remember shocking the judges and coaches at my first swim meet because I swam the entire distance without taking a breath at all. In the s

3 Comments This week I commemorated 12 years as an Avon lady and it got me thinking about all that I've learned on this journey. And I'm not talking about how to pick a lipstick or why it's important to use the right cleanser and moisturizer. No, I've learned much more than that and it might surprise you. Or maybe not. 1. Women worry about wrinkles. Even my oldest customers, those in their 80s and 90s, are looking for the miracle cream, ointment, or serum that will s

I wish you hadn't brought your porcelain doll into the kitchen. Not because it's not where she belongs -- it's not -- but because if you hadn't, she wouldn't be broken. And her cute little ankle-wrap shoes and feet would not be cracked and glued. That doll. I don't know what it was about her that captivated you so, but honestly, sweet girl, she captivated me too. Maybe it's her dress or her face. No, I think it's the shoes. Definitely the shoes. You and I both commented on

The world is not made of Legos. Today, you learned this important lesson when you tossed your sister's porcelain doll to the floor. Her delicate feet made an awful pinging noise as they shattered on the oak floor of our kitchen. Your sister immediately cried the saddest tears I've ever seen her shed. "My doll, my poor doll," she sobbed over and over. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I didn't mean to. I didn't know she was made of glass," you replied, your own eyes tearing up as

1 Comment "The Titanic was built by professionals. The ark was built by amateurs." In the last week, I've seen this cutesy quote in two different places at two different times and that has caused me to turn it over in my head, investigating it from every angle, considering its truth and wondering about its supporting evidence. And I think I've maybe come up with a reason why we can stamp #truth on this little church billboard gem. The Titanic was built for man's glory. The

2 Comments Yesterday, as every November 1, I replaced all of our light-up smiling pumpkins, candy corn bowls, and silly costumed stuffed animals with "Give Thanks" plaques, cornucopias and a light-up fiber optic turkey. Yes, that's a real thing. But in the center of our kitchen table went my most favorite November decoration of all: a cardboard oatmeal canister wrapped in construction paper and adorned with crayon-colored leaf cut-outs. It's the cheapest decoration we ow

How is my cup supposed to overflow, when there isn't even a dribble inside? Parched. Drained. Dry. Nothing left. Not even a fairy-sized sip. I've poured out every drop and there's simply nothing left. I yearn for an abundance. But even a splash would feel like a desert oasis if I could swish it around in my cup, watch it swirl around the sides before lapping it up, savoring its sweet wetness before it slides down my burning, exhausted throat. My cup is cracked. It's chipped.