Day 10: Sisterhood of Bloggers Award
I feel alive when I write. It is the purest water for my soul. As I write these 31 days, I'm learning that the craft of writing requires consistency as much as inspiration. Artistic creation of any kind is not for the faint of heart. This act of bringing a new...
Day 9: The Heart of a Child
I took this photo on the majestic shores of Lake Michigan. Each year our family travels north to be nourished and restored on this land. I have traveled the great world to Africa, Australia, Europe, Hawaii and crisscrossed our nation many times. In spite of the...
Day 8: When You Need to Be Found
It was one of those days. A day where my anxiety reigned and shrouded me with it's dark veil. This thing called anxiety had barreled into my life over the past year, and I was still waiting for rescue. I barely made it through each day as a wife, mom of two, and...
Day 7: Keeper of the Secrets and the Stones
Patrick Kennedy breaks the silence on mental health and addiction. He told the secrets - it all comes down to that. The walls I build are thick with these hushed words. I am the best keeper of secrets. My loyalty and responsibility require it. I would fit in well...
Day 6: A Holy Pause
I attended a funeral today. Whispered goodnight to a beautiful spirit. With so many questions, the weary mind wrestles. It's heartache to bury a 45 year old father, husband, son, and brother. This day was a holy pause. A reminder of this fleeting life we lead....
Day 5: What Happens When You Go To A Mental Hospital And Ask For Help
I drive past the hospital almost every day. It sits directly across the busy road from our church & school. In fact, I see it when I look through the glass of my office window. I never thought much about the people, though. The people who work there - the...
Day 4: A Letter For The Seekers of the Still
You know who you are. You are the brokenhearted. You are the survivors. You are the lonely and confused. You are the wise. You are the caregivers. You are the loved ones. You know there is more than the visible. You have won, and you have lost. You have been a...
Day 3: How A Book Gave Me Strength To Share My Story
This post is about the intersection of my life with a book two distinct times, more than five years apart, and a chasm of change between. I believe books choose us. I can’t explain in much greater detail that that, other than to say that books seem to show up in my...
Ashes, Ashes We All Fall Down
I'm going to tell you about one of my most difficult days. One I rarely allow myself to revisit without the support of someone with several educational degrees behind their name. The memories of this day trigger fear and sadness, still, almost 18 months and a...
The Introduction: 31 Days of Seeking The Still
Note: This series is not a substitute for therapy and/or medical help. I am neither a doctor, nor a therapist. I am simply a sojourner sharing my story of hurt, hope, and healing. If you are struggling physically, mentally, or emotionally, please ask for help. It...
Total Truth Tuesday: I’m Afraid of 31 Days
I've tried twice and failed. In two previous years, I started 31 days of writing in October. My intentions were good, my follow-through not so great. And yet, this year you told me it's important to you. You said you've been struggling, too. You wonder what I've...
Total Truth Tuesday: Why I’m Afraid of the Car Wash (It’s not what you might think)
As a young child (maybe 3 or 4), I was petrified of drive-through car washes. I vividly remember the panic I experienced watching those big brushes slam my window - no possible way of escape. But today's Total Truth Tuesday isn't about my fear of the brushes (I...
What I Learned When I Met a Favorite Author
Call it a hunch or an inkling. Whatever it was, I clicked submit on the contest form to win an invitation to the book release party for Simply Tuesday by Emily Freeman. I rarely enter contests, but something or someOne nudged me forward this one time. I have...
Total Truth Tuesday
I've heard numerous times lately that a sign of good emotional intelligence is the ability to laugh at oneself. This is not something that comes naturally to me, and since the topics of my posts have been on the heavy side, I decided to inject a bit of self...
Breakdown
You've heard it a hundred times, mostly in relation to a public figure: hospitalized for exhaustion. It sounds much nicer that way, as if all one really needs is a nice vacation at an exotic hotel. For my purpose, I am going to call it a breakdown because, well, my...
A Perfect Storm
I woke up this morning. What an obvious statement. "Of course, you woke up this morning," one might say. But for a long time, I didn't wake up in the morning because I never went to sleep. It was March 2014 and my life was hectic. I was working 30 hours a week as...
Roots {Part III in the Date with Destiny Series}
Continued from Date with Destiny - Part I and Date with Destiny Part II. The rain cascaded in tiny rivulets down the century-old old window panes. She stood there with her head pressed against the cold glass. A pretty 7 year old girl with straight, blond hair. Her...
Welcome To Seeking The Still!
It's Story Time & You're Invited It's story time, dear ones. Time to share. Time to come together. I have prepared 7 stories just for you. They are true stories from my life, but they were specifically chosen because they help you remember that there is hope and...