Blog: Beauty from the Inside Out
Posted: August 15, 2011
It’s not easy being a feminine, masterpiece goddess amongst bar bells, pool tables, sweat, baseball trophies and football scores. But it’s also difficult for a man to feel like James Bond, 007 when he is surrounded by tasseled, fluffy throw pillows and pink and orange scented candles. So we have a dilemma. Over the past number of years there has been animated talk and chuckles about the “man cave”; the escape hatch for a man from the daily demands of life. The Urban Dictionary describes the need for a man cave this way: “A room, space, corner or area of a dwelling that is specifically reserved for a male person to be in a solitary condition, away from the rest of the household in order to work, play, and involve himself in certain hobbies, activities without interruption. This area is usually decorated by the male that uses it without interference…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Communication, Encouragement, Freedom from Busyness, Good Marriage, Hope, Intimacy, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, Solitude, Tension, Understanding each other
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Posted: August 8, 2011
Dentists remind us of our checks ups so that we don’t get rotten teeth; we go to the doctor so that he can find diseases before they kill us, and girls; we need to have regular mammograms. If we don’t schedule these assessments, one day we may find our bodies in need of serious medical care. It’s no different with our cars or pets; so why would we overlook the most valuable part of our lives on this planet…our husbands? I did a check-in with my husband on our vineyard walk this week, and realized we had been missing a fun component that got lost in the distractions and demands of life; our trips to Seattle for the Washington Huskies football games. As soon as I mentioned this forgotten dream, his face lit up like a socket; and the minute we walked in the door of our home he got…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Beauty Unleashed, Communication, Encouragement, Expectations, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Freedom from Busyness, Friendship, Good Marriage, Hope, Intimacy, Kindness, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, Tension, Understanding each other, Valued
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Posted: July 30, 2011
I learn everything the hard way and this time is was from burning baby back ribs. My intentions were honorable, but it ended up all wrong. I made a huge batch of baby back ribs; one serving for neighbors that were going through a difficult family circumstance, and one portion for our family. The ribs had cooked too long and so the outside sections were burned. I separated the ribs; the burnt ones for our family, and the succulent, perfect ribs for our neighbors. My husband Dick watched me separate the ribs and with a hurt, horrified look on his face, he quietly commented, “So we get the burnt ones?” My self-righteous, good neighborly reply was, “Yup!” I thought I was doing a good, Godly, neighborly act of love, but in the meantime I destroyed my husband and family’s valuable place in my life. I realized I had placed more significance…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Encouragement, Expectations, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Friendship, Good Marriage, Intimacy, Kindness, Life of Jesus, Making Wise Choices, Pain Pleasure, Resentment, Understanding each other, Valued
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Posted: July 20, 2011
I have also been doing the radical 30 day “hands off” challenge and at least twice I have failed miserably. No doubt about it; it’s a tough one especially if we are trying to break established patterns and bad habits. Throw in some jet lag, heat, writing deadlines, a house full of company and fatigue, and those are deadly ingredients for caving in and throwing away all good intentions. I always say that fatigue makes cowards out of us and makes us want to give up, but tomorrow is a new day and we have the blessings of a new beginning. So don’t give up. Amongst all of the summer activity I have become acutely aware (again) how most women are the family Wikipedia; a wealth of knowledge for activities, social functions, grocery lists, birthdays, gift buying and having answers for continuous questions. Here is how I see it. Imagine…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Beauty Unleashed, Encouragement, Expectations, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Good Marriage, Intimacy
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Posted: June 25, 2011
This was one of the most bizarre stories I ever heard. My son-in-law Tim was telling me how he grows hybrid canola. This is what he told me, “Hybrid canola is grown in rows with the ‘females’ in one row, and the ‘males’ in adjacent rows. Then they import honey bees and leafcutter bees to pollinate the canola. After pollination is complete, the ‘male’ rows are mowed out, since they do not produce the desired type of seed.” This seems to be the sequence of events in many marriages. Man and woman fall in love, they pollinate (have babies) and once the male is no longer useful, he is being mowed down. I don’t believe I am being to brazen by saying this so bluntly, because I have heard women “mowing down men” in various, cutting ways. Once men no longer meet our expectations, we can cut them down by…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Communication, Encouragement, Expectations, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Good Marriage, Intimacy, Kindness, Making Wise Choices, Pain Pleasure, Resentment, Understanding each other, Valued
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Posted: June 10, 2011
Tension in a marriage can be good. But by the time some people finish reading this blog about tension they may be shouting, “Get rid of the jerk, he/she’s not worth it.” Apparently they were worth it at one time; the day you were both all dressed up in your finest attire, surrounded by family and friends and declaring your love for each other for the “rest of your lives.” Our modern day lifestyle plays havoc with our marriages; especially during the years where we are cultivating our careers, nurturing our children, trying to stay in the black in our bank accounts and carving out some fun recreational activities. I believe that much of the tension arises by both spouses feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated and then angry. Instead of throwing in the towel and saying, “I don’t love you anymore, and I’m leaving”…see the tension as a golden opportunity for…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Beauty through Boldness, Communication, Expectations, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Good Marriage, Intimacy, Kindness, Overcoming Struggles, Overwhelmed and Undervalued, Tension, Uncategorized, Understanding each other, Valued
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Posted: June 4, 2011
Every one of us is a minefield full of treasures. Most of those minefields are pain, frustration, disappointment, bitterness and anger because of unmet expectations. So how does that turn into a treasure? Follow me along on a treasure hunt. To do that I need to tell you a little story. There was a man who ran across American, coast to coast. When he completed this arduous, compelling and harsh task, he was met by the news media, with TV cameras and microphones being shoved into his face. The reporters asked him, “What was the hardest part of this year long trek? Was it the heat in the summer? Was it the fatigue? Was it the loneliness? Was it the relentless distance?” The runner replied without any hesitation, “No, it was the sand in my shoes.” Ok what does that have to do with expectations? Everything! When we have expectations,…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Beauty through Boldness, Beauty Unleashed, Communication, Encouragement, Expectations, Fear, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Friendship, Good Marriage, Hope, Intimacy, Kindness, Life of Jesus, Making Wise Choices, Pain Pleasure, Resentment
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Posted: May 24, 2011
“Have you left your luggage unattended at any time?” This is one of the questions the girl at the airline check-in counter asks before she allows me to plunk my luggage onto her conveyer belt. I know this simple, ridiculous question is for my safety; to protect me from terrorism or any other harm. Yet so many of us, before we say our “I do’s” and get ready to fly into our marriage; don’t ask each other that straightforward, life saving question. We arrive at the marriage alter dragging our gorgeous, deceptive Gucci luggage which holds all of our garbage and secrets. There probably has not been any reason to unzip the baggage; after all you have both been in a magical, endorphin induced courtship. Now the day to day routine of life begins with its challenges and obstacles, and before you know it you are pulling the luggage zipper…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Beauty Unleashed, Communication, Encouragement, Expectations, False Belief Systems, Finding Truth, Forgiveness, Friendship, Good Marriage, Hope, Intimacy, Making Wise Choices, Pain Pleasure, Resentment, Understanding each other
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Posted: May 2, 2011
I am a visual, picture thinker. My friend Laura Davis’s book COME TO ME, gave me the sights, smells, and images of the life of Christ in a fresh, vibrant encounter. Each night I read a couple of chapters and it left me with peace and a fresh understanding of the day to day life of the Son of God. Come to Me is beautifully written in the context of intimate conversations taking place between Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Jesus’ disciples. As we get older, we love to recall all the funny, mischevious, frolicking moments in our children’s lives. Mary is no different. In this book Mary is in her declinings years and passionately and lovingly goes back to vividly recall the stories of Jesus growing up years and powerful ministry. Laura does an outstanding tribute to the details as written in the gospels, but adds just enough detail to…
Posted in: Beauty from the Inside Out, Book Review, Encouragement, Finding Truth, Hope, Intimacy, Life of Jesus, Making Wise Choices
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Posted: April 22, 2011
For many years, when my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m.; I would start to pray. “God, please help me to get out of this bed. Help me get one foot on the floor and then the other one. Please God help me to start this day.” Those were the days when I was employed full time, taxied two children to endless activities, baked my own bread, sewed my own clothes, taught Sunday School…in other words; every morning I had to go into the telephone booth and change into the image of Super-woman of this present generation. On Saturday mornings while the children were cuddled in their pajamas, munching cereal, playing with the dog and my husband watching basketball, any person watching this peaceful family scene would probably sigh and comment on this blissful Rockwell family. Wrong. In the meantime I was in the kitchen banging pots, dragging out the…
Posted in: Balancing life, Beauty from the Inside Out, Encouragement, Expectations, Finding Truth, Freedom from Busyness, Good Marriage, Hope, Intimacy, Kindness, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, Pain Pleasure, Resentment, Uncategorized, Understanding each other
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