Tag: Nicole Phillips

My friend lost her dad just days after Christmas. I’ve never been in a situation where I needed to console a friend after a parent’s death, so I was on new ground.

Am I talking too much or too little? Am I loving her in the way she needs to be loved or in the way I would want to be ... Read More


This little blog post isn’t about exercising. It’s not about conquering your New Year’s Resolutionor creating a healthy living routine. This little blog post is about what happens when you do the next right thing.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve suffered from depression. I still vividly remember what it feels like to need my bed. People in the know prescribed exercise. ... Read More


Have you tired of your New Year’s resolution yet?

Maybe you hoped to avoid the feeling of failure by not declaring one. That’s sort of the route I take.

While I’m not big into resolutions, I did set an intention for 2019. I learned this practice from some friends who come up with a special word at the beginning of each year. ... Read More


I know kindness is contagious because I’ve witnessed it in action time and time again. Hundreds of stories from readers like you have solidified my belief that kindness goes around and comes around much more frequently than we could imagine.

Sometimes, we do an act of kindness that prompts someone else to “pay it forward.” We never know where the kindness ... Read More


I am staring down six weeks of calendar chaos. Ever been there?

It’s the middle of the basketball season, which is its own beast when you’re a coach’s wife. We’ve been doing this for 18 years now, so I sort of know what to expect — which is, you never know what to expect.

It’s not basketball, it’s actually the other ... Read More


Ever had Lasik surgery? It’s a total trip. They put you in a room and have you watch a video about the 40 million ways you could go blind. After the video, when you’re thoroughly convinced this is something you should NOT do, they give you a valium and begin!

At least that’s how it went for me. I had it ... Read More


You know those super awkward moments where everyone is standing in an elevator and no one is talking? They seem to happen anytime we find ourselves in a contained area with a bunch of strangers.

I had a moment like that recently when I was flying somewhere by myself. I had parked the car in the cheapest airport lot, which meant ... Read More


Over the years, Saul and I have added to our family. First it was a dog (RIP Robby Dog Phillips). Then it was our three biological children. Then it was another dog (Dakota is currently sleeping next to me in my office). Then it was two precious boys, the same age as our middle son, Charlie. One of the boys ... Read More


I’ve been followed around the last few weeks by these words…

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

My youngest son, Ben, and I have been having some deep philosophical conversations about decision making. Ben is eight so usually his biggest ... Read More


For the record, you should never do anything in front of children that you might find embarrassing when talked about in front of adults.

When we go on vacation, I like to hunt down the town’s best specialty bakery. I have a tendency to buy two flavors of cupcakes at a time because it just feels like too much pressure to ... Read More