Tag: Silver lining

“There is a miracle on the other side of this mountain.”

I was doing a video chat with a friend and her words awoke the hope inside me. She said it’s her daily mantra. It’s the place she parks her brain when her brain wants to idle in the land of what-ifs.

She heard those words from another friend who saw ... Read More


I was talking to my brother last night. He’s a really great guy and I’m not just saying that because we have the same genes. He has this crazy, wildly biting wit, but in the next breath, he’ll be telling me he loves me. He calls and checks in with me way more than I call him. In other words, ... Read More


Are you okay? Is everything alright? Are you waiting for someone?

Yes. Yes. And yes.

The last place I expected to find myself last Friday night was on a curb outside a Speedway gas station in a town with no posted population.

But there I was. Desperately wanting to be home after a week on the road and instead stranded in a parking ... Read More


Even if your life in general is going swimmingly, I would venture to guess you have things in your sphere that aren’t awesome.

My husband doesn’t have a job yet — not awesome.

My dog was sick as a dog this week — not awesome.

My creative juices are all dried up (with three big presentations on the horizon) — not awesome.

Can you ... Read More


While the rest of the United States of America was watching the Red Carpet festivities for the Oscars, my family was watching Dumb and Dumber.

No apologies. There is nothing better than sitting around and giggling about toilet jokes with your 45 year old husband and 8 year old son. Even my two teenagers thought Dumb and Dumber was a better ... Read More


I often say I have the happiest email inbox in the world. Every once in a while, I’ll also get a handwritten letter in my real mailbox explaining how someone is adding light to the world through kindness.

I’ve received the sweetest stories of kindness. Despite what you might see on the television, there is good in this world, no doubt ... Read More


I was speaking to a group of cancer survivors in South Dakota Friday — telling my story and talking to the group about the “black dots” in our lives.

For those of us in that room, breast cancer either was or is the predominant black dot. But there are always things that loom heavy in our lives — finances, messy relationships, ... Read More


This week’s Memory Verse is super easy to memorize and super difficult to live. Here it is:

“Always be joyful.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NLT)

Three simple words. Close your eyes and say it to yourself. See? You already have it memorized.

But how do we live it? And what does it really even mean?

When a child dies, are we supposed to be joyful? ... Read More


So a funny thing happened after I had breast cancer. My daughter’s little “Let’s help Mom” sewing project exploded into something that none of us could have ever asked for or imagined.

Let’s recap.

May 2015: Diagnosed with Stage 2 Lobular Invasive Carcinoma (breast cancer).

July 2015: Single mastectomy.

August 2015: Doctor declares me “Cancer free”; Puts me on Tamoxifen for ten years ... Read More


Have you ever thought, I’m almost there! Only to realize that you’ve still got so far to go?

I went to a waterpark recently. I’m a big believer in amusement parks with roller coasters. Waterslides, not so much.

My son, Charlie, is a fan of all things fast and tall, so I put on my three piece swimming suit (top, bottom and ... Read More