Category: Family

A Birthday Memory

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thess 5:11)

Some people don’t like celebrating or even acknowledging their birthdays, but I’ve never been that way. I view my birthday as an opportunity to connect with friends and family. It’s a time for introspection. It’s a time for fun. And in August 2020, during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m reflecting on the birthday memory that stands out the most.

One of my most vivid birthday memories is from a couple of decades ago. (How did I get so old?!) My Chicken Soup for the Shopper’s Soul short story, “The Birthday Surprise,” is about my twentieth birthday, when I lived in Germany with my then-husband, who was in the US Army. I had been there about three months and hadn’t met many women yet. My husband was being sent on maneuvers for a few days, so I planned to spend the day alone, thousands of miles from family and friends, feeling sorry for myself. (I know, it wasn’t my finest moment.) Continue reading “A Birthday Memory” →

A Father’s Love

Posted on by Staci Mauney

The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him. (Prov 20:7 NKJV)

When I was a teenager, my dad and I didn’t always get along. Our disagreements were the  typical father/teenage daughter variety. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned something—we’re more alike than we are different. Not only do we look alike, but we think alike and sometimes even act alike. Continue reading “A Father’s Love” →

Lilly’s Quarantine Adventures

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Gen 1:26)

Hi, friends! Lilly Doggins here to tell you about my experiences during quarantine. I’m not sure what a quarantine is (that’s Mom’s word), but she has stayed home all the time for the last couple of months. She’s worked from home for a few years, but she leaves me alone sometimes, and I’m not happy when she does. She says things like, “I’m going to the coffee shop to work” or “I have to meet a client” or “It’s LifeGroup night!” I’ve never understood why I can’t go. But if the quarantine is what’s keeping my mom home, then I have to admit that I love it! Continue reading “Lilly’s Quarantine Adventures” →

My Mother’s Strength

Posted on by Staci Mauney

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Rom 5:3-4).

Last September, my mom fell and broke her kneecap. With the subsequent surgery and recovery, she was off work for about six months. What seemed like a tragedy had a silver lining: I stayed with my parents during those months, and I spent more time with them than I normally would have. And even though I wish my mom hadn’t gotten hurt, I wouldn’t trade the time with her for anything, especially since the lockdown has kept us apart for the last couple of months. Continue reading “My Mother’s Strength” →

Confessions of a Planner

Posted on by Staci Mauney

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps” (Prov 16:9).

I’m a planner at heart, and I’m in my element when I’m organizing something, whether it’s my office space or an event. I like to plan things well in advance – the farther out, the better. Even one of my dates once pegged me for a planner, probably because I refused to drop everything to meet up for coffee at a moment’s notice. Sorry, but I only do that for good friends (and potential clients).

Even though I live like I think spontaneity is from the devil, I can—and have—adapted when necessary. In a previous blog post, I wrote about the way I sometimes meet up with friends at moment’s notice to combat loneliness. This works both ways. If a friend needs me, then I try to be there for her as well. While being spontaneous is difficult for me, it’s not impossible, and I find I benefit a great deal from releasing my hold on my schedule. Continue reading “Confessions of a Planner” →