Category: Gratitude

Walk the Dog

One of our family’s favorite Christmas Eve traditions has been walking the trail around the Lafayette Reservoir. Our first NorCal Christmas, friends invited us to walk it with them; that first walk led to walking it every Christmas Eve (and so many times throughout and over the years), except for one rainy Christmas Eve in … Continue reading Walk the Dog

Find Center

If you've been around here for a while, you'll know that I've been a Jesus-lover since forever. I have spent most of my professional life working in churches, and I am also married to a pastor. And I (mostly) love the church in all its beauty and brokenness. All of this can lead to a … Continue reading Find Center

Speak Grace

With Thanksgiving only days away, I am thinking about gratitude, grace, and the state of my heart. Many of us were taught to ‘say grace’ at the dinner table. Something like: Thank you, God, for the world so sweet Thank you, God, for the food we eat Thank you, God, for the birds that sing … Continue reading Speak Grace

Care Packages

Our church has a tradition of sending care packages to college students as a way of continuing to share love with them even when they cannot be with us. Over the years I have enjoyed writing notes to kids I know, encouraging them to hang in there and that, yes, we do notice you’re not … Continue reading Care Packages

Thankful Thursday – Puppy Joy

Our neighbors moved away, and of course they took their darling black lab with them. But as we more or less co-parented our dogs, it felt like losing not just our friends but also our pet. Izzy, who had never known life without her next door bestie, became depressed. Her appetite dropped off. Several times … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Puppy Joy

Thankful Thursday – Growing Happy

Where did I read it? Magazine, blog, online news article...? Anyway, last weekend I read, somewhere, that those who study these things have shown three significant factors that affect brain chemistry to increase the feelings of happiness: Gratitude Laughter Good people Gratitude: find three unique things for which you can be grateful each day. I … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Growing Happy

Humble. Yoga. Go!

Friends opened a yoga studio and invited me to try it. I’d never tried yoga and, other than mandatory (despised, humiliating) PE classes all the way through college and some neon jazzercise in the late-80’s/early-90’s, group exercise—team or class—hasn’t been my thing. To be honest, exercise hasn’t been my thing. I’m branching out in middle … Continue reading Humble. Yoga. Go!

Thankful Thursday – Fall Blooms

About this time six years ago, a few weeks into Tween's second grade year, his teacher found me admiring bulletin boards in the breezeway. She said, "Hey, can you give me a tip? Tween doesn't seem to realize he's in school." I immediately replied, "Oh, give him some time. He'll realize it's no longer summer … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Fall Blooms

Thankful Thursday – Road Trippin’ the American West

The longest road trip I remember from childhood took me to Disneyland, which seemed So Far Away, though now I have to admit that the hour-and-a-half drive from San Diego to Anaheim doesn't truly count. Guy's family did real road trips: six weeks coast-to-coast in a Volkswagen Vanagon, a different route each way, every summer. … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Road Trippin’ the American West

Thankful Thursday – Gentleness

I slapped off my alarm Monday morning, the one I set so I could have coffee before yoga. Eh, maybe the later class. I missed the later class. Eh, I’ll go to the gym. I had no energy for the gym. Not even for a run around the neighborhood. So I used the dog as … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Gentleness