Living the New Life
-
Doc Answers: Angry God or Loving God?
In the last two posts I’ve been discussing the ins and outs of anger, including how to keep it in balance and when to pay attention to it. This week, though, I’m digging into the subject of God and anger. Sometimes God seems extremely angry in the Old Testament, especially with the people who are…
-
When to Give Anger a Green Light: The Ins and Outs of Anger, Part II
“Have you given yourself permission to be angry?” Several years ago a counselor surprised me with that question. Pretty sure my answer was a big, fat “Nope!” McLeod and I had been in marriage counseling for two months, but I felt stuck like we weren’t making much progress. In fact, one of the things I…
-
Toasty Warm or Too Hot to Handle? The Ins and Outs of Anger, Part I
A friend posted earlier in the week as we got our first real cold front of the fall: Texas will be closed today. We’re all looking for our jackets. I would add, and our fuzzy socks. There’s nothing funnier that watching Houstonians bundle up against 60-degree temps. We know we’re being a little ridiculous, but…
-
Why Every Super Hero Needs Her Team
A few weeks ago, we were just about to kick back for a relaxed Sunday evening of cooking out and watching the Astros play the Red Sox. While McLeod grilled burgers, I stepped inside to heat up some sides, but when I looked up from where I was stirring at the stove, I found my…
-
5 Ways to Fire Up Your Prayer Life
We’ve been fired up around here lately. Not only are we cooking like crazy on our new grill, but we’ve got a fire pit that’s proving to be a huge hit, and not just with the younger set. Fresh pop corn and marshmallow goodness, here we come. Sometimes, though, it takes a few tries to…
-
Top Gear Every Woman Needs for a Tough World
What’s it take to put on our “spiritual super suits” and be the wonder women that God created us to be? That’s what we’re talking about is this series of posts as we look at practical ways to live with purpose, lead with grace, and love with whole hearts. Tip number one? Go deeper with…
-
Where’s Your Super Suit? Check These Places First
1979 was a magical year to be four years old. You bounced around in your family’s barge-sized Chevy Impala, not worried about buckling up in the back seat, and you slurped water right from the garden hose, savoring the metallic tinge. Best of all, you zoomed through your house in your Wonder Woman Underoos, deflecting…
-
What Kind of Back-to-School Parent Are You?
Just saw on Twitter that a local elementary school is offering a Kinder Parent Information Night and thought, “How progressive to teach parents to be kind and compassionate this year!” Realized later that Kinder was short for Kindergarten. But what if it really meant learning to be kind? (Some of my teacher friends just sat…
-
3 Things to Remember When You Feel Discouraged
Know what the soundtrack of my life is right now? The rhythm of a nail gun and the whine of a power saw. Yep, we’re in the middle of a renovation project that’s got me living out my HGTV dreams. I was telling a friend, though, that at first, every day seemed like “demo day,”…
-
Let Joy Find You!
I remember the first time Caroline ate blueberry pancakes. Sitting in a high chair at the grandparents, she grabbed fistfuls and shoveled them in. With gusto. Then, she caught me watching (camera in hand) and broke into full-on squeals of delight in the midst of a purply mess. Joy snuck up on us, turning breakfast…