Living a Blessed Life

The odometer on my 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe celebrated 100,000 miles recently! If you are unaware, my car’s engine was rebuilt this fall so it has a mere 4,000 miles on it, but this is still a fun milestone. I am holding out hope that this car has another 100,000 miles++ in it so I can pass it along to Toby someday. TOBY! Yes, I am thinking long-term here. YIKES! He will be 13 this summer, learning to drive in two short years! I know that time will be here before we know it. Thank goodness we have a couple of years because I am most certainly not ready! YIKES!!! Do you ever feel like you have reached 100,000 miles in your life? Maybe you feel physically worn out and tired. Restless nights coupled with the aches of gradual aging creep up on us. Maybe it’s not your body, but your mind that is overwhelmed and you wonder how your brain could possibly process any more input. I remember when I was in my early Twenties and I would chuckle at the thought of “feeling” old, clearly lacking ...

I cannot tell you how happy I am writing to you today. One year ago told a very different story in the rollercoaster of my life. It was this time last year that a PET scan revealed an area of supposed concern where I had my liver resection that past August. My oncologist thought that the cancer we thought we had defeated had returned and spread. This was deflating news as we were ready to celebrate health and healing in 2023! A liver biopsy later, we learned that it was inflammation in the cavity where my liver was no longer residing and nothing of concern. This is exactly what the surgeon thought it was, but to gain certainty regarding my healing, the liver biopsy was our best option. I love a good adventure, but I am ready to finish this one. Personally, I prefer adventures in traveling instead. I would venture to guess that is the kind of adventure most people prefer. Feeling down, anxious, tired, overwhelmed, sick, etc. is not where we are meant to park. If this is wher...

Two MUST be better! Unless we are talking about colonoscopies! This week I had the unique privilege of having not only one but TWO colonoscopies. Why, you ask? It’s probably because all of the cool people are doing it. Hahaha! Kidding aside, here is the latest on my crazy healthcare journey. I was supposed to have a routine colonoscopy in March, but my oncologist was very kind and through her compassion toward me and all of the testing I have gone through, she said I could push it off a little while. We decided to do it this fall, in hopes that after a clear report I could wait up to 3 years before I needed another. I scheduled the appointment for Thursday of this week, and due to the ‘not-so-clear’ prep last time I had the special privilege of doing what is called a Double Split Prep. This essentially means prepping twice as much as ‘normal’ people do. Let me tell you how much fun that was! Okay, not really. I’ll spare you the details. I completed everything as described, but I fai...

The sunrise was absolutely stunning this morning! I initially took a picture through the window, but that did not do justice to the colors in the sky, so I braved the 24-degree temperature and stepped outside. I think it was worth it! By the time the kids and I left for school the sun was much higher in the sky and the colors had faded. Each morning that I am met with the beauty of the sunrise I can’t help but stop and thank God. I have learned the practice of intentional gratitude which has become a habit. It is easy to get wrapped up in our thoughts and busy lives and miss the simple yet profound messages of peace surrounding us. You may be in a difficult season, but I promise your perspective will change when gratitude becomes a habit. We are entering the season of intentional family time coupled with busy, hurried schedules. Grief feels heavier this time of year. The memories we had have morphed and we are now creating new memories, all the while holding t...

This morning I woke up at 4:30 to let our beagle, Maple, outside and the temperature was 45 degrees!!! What?!?!?! Too soon, Minnesota! Too soon! I do love the change of seasons, and I even enjoy the crisp mornings and cool evenings, as long as it warms up during the day. This has not been the case, however. Our weather did not get the message that Autumn should last at least a month (or two during a good year), and we already feel early winter vibes. The leaves are desperately trying to turn into the beautiful canvas that is Fall, but it seems that few have fully turned, and many are just falling instead. Fall colors are possibly the most enjoyable part of the season, so I am hopeful it warms up just a smidge, and the trees with leaves intact get their act together. Haha! Enough about the weather! Thankfully, we will be enjoying a week in Florida soon and that should bring warmth to our bones and souls. Sunshine has an amazing effect on our psyche and our bodies, and I know we are ...

“ Sorrow may last for the night, but Joy comes with the morning! ” — Psalm 30:5 I am sad. I have been meaning to write this post for over a week but every time I tried to establish a train of thought I felt stuck. I have many things on my mind that I feel led to share with you and my brain is at a tipping point. This afternoon my phone rang. I noticed it on my watch first, as I was in the middle of making supper for Darek and the kids. When I saw the name on the phone I felt a sudden sense of panic and concern. This call was in some ways anticipated, but not yet. I scrambled to find my phone in the kitchen, hoping it was nearby and I would not miss the call before my voicemail picked up. I quickly located my phone and after briefly fumbling it nervously in my hand, I answered it. The voice on the other end of the phone was calm, and with long pauses, I heard the news that a friend of ours had passed away. My eyes welled with tears and my voice quivered as...

Everybody has a story and each story holds a unique value. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing we have nothing to offer because we are not on a stage in front of thousands of people, or we have not been through a life circumstance that in our minds sets us apart from anyone else. I would argue that you DO have a unique story, and it DOES matter . The method you recently found to keep your family fed might just be the thing your neighbor is struggling with. The book you found fascinating might be exactly what your friend needs to help them through a similar situation. The routine you find simple at home could free up time in someone's schedule if they knew enough to try something different. We are good at getting caught up in our day with what we hold as important in the moment and we often fail to step back and see the world around us. I am not sure if it is fear of rejection that keeps us from stepping out and believing that our story is important, or if it is just s...