As 2020 comes to an end (finally!), I wanted to share my top ten blog posts for the year. COVID-19 was, of course, a major theme running throughout my blog posts this year. On the whole, I looked for positive things to share in my posts. The following posts have resonated most strongly with you, my readers, over the last eleven months: Continue reading “Top 10 Posts in 2020”
Category: Health
Practicing Gratitude
This blog post was originally published on November 11, 2018.
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.” (Ps 95:2-3)
Being grateful isn’t something that comes naturally. We’re inherently selfish and focused on ourselves. We don’t always feel thankful. There are a lot of bad things happening in this world, and it’s sometimes hard to figure out how to be thankful in the midst of them.
Learning to be grateful takes practice. When faced with a trial or an unexpected bump in the road, my first thought is never how thankful I am for the difficulty or inconvenience. How I wish it were! Turning my mind from my struggles and onto the things for which I’m thankful allows me to grow closer to God and to receive physical and psychological benefits. Continue reading “Practicing Gratitude”
Embracing the Lessons of 2020
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps 18:2)
This last year has been quite a roller coaster ride. Last month marked one year since my mom fell and broke her kneecap. When the orthopedist told us an injury like hers could take up to six months to get better and a year to heal completely, I thought, That surely isn’t right. Continue reading “Embracing the Lessons of 2020”
Finding the Pandemic Reset Button
“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” Rom 14:12
Early in the pandemic, I threw myself into work and other projects to stay busy, and now I’m feeling the fatigue. Every day feels like Groundhog Day.
I’ve let some things slip. Things like my Bible study time and eating habits. Has this happened to you? No? Is it just me? Continue reading “Finding the Pandemic Reset Button”
The Process of Renewal
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Mt 11:29)
Back in January, I wrote about choosing the word “renew” word for 2020. According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, renew means “to make like new; restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection.”
I chose this word because I felt depleted. After years of nonstop busyness, from running my editing business to volunteering at church and for writing organizations, I knew I was heading for burnout. I wasn’t getting enough physical rest, but this sense of depletion felt deeper. I studied spiritual rest and discovered how it’s different than physical rest—it’s a rest for the soul and a time of drawing closer to God. Continue reading “The Process of Renewal”