Women Who Eat Chocolate

Processing much. My aim is to separate our trip to Mexico into small, digestive pieces. Heaviness, pressed down, is what we felt. These are the tip top thoughts I'm feeling now. Will bring more to you as I process each moment. This blog will be published next week in The Bargain Hunter column, but I'm bringing it to you a bit early.  I hope to someday not sit in a quandary, or a tizzy, or a moment of abject disgust with myself and the momentum I fail to have at times. My life is wasted in small moments, tiny and thin, that bring bigger and bigger amounts of time passing by me like so much of a life gone. I have come back from the edge, older yet not so much wiser. This plane of life is so transparent it takes my breath away so that I cannot think to even fill my lungs with air. I have found what I desire in life – my love, my kids, and my home. Yet still, is it enough to make us whole? Enough when my entire soul is yearning for more and more of what I can’t say. Is it enou...

My daughter Selena recently participated in a mission trip to NYC. She has written about it and I found it so moving that I wanted to share. Here it is, in her words. You Make Me Brave I’ve found that I am someone you would call a dreamer. I hold these burning passions in my heart that make me anxious, anxious to get out into the world and do something. There is a psalm in the Bible that keeps reoccurring in my head when I try explaining why I know what I am supposed to be doing in this life and it reads, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This past year I earnestly sought out the Lord, experienced Him in indescribable ways, and truly fell head over heels in love. God has shown me this light that radiates from within me, it longs to shine on areas that sit in darkness. I’ve been called to a mission, one that is dedicated to ministering to lost areas of the world who have never heard of the Most High. Whether that be spreading the Wo...

Hate. Encompassed by idle words.  Too many people, they say.  We have no room, they say.  But our land is vast, I say. Let them in.  Love. Love. Life is too short to hate. We will all die with debt. Having spent too much. Have we shared our wealth? Have we loved? I would give everything to help one soul. Or will we close the door? Our lives remain the comfortable same. No more. No less. We can rant and rave for either side. But have we loved? Because that's all there is. Will you die clutching tightly? Or will you open your clenched fist? Your words, which fall like so many fire sparks. And burn. Open the door. And love.

In the spirit of the beautiful game and the upcoming semi-finals and championship game of the World Cup this weekend, I am posting my newest column (which hasn't been posted online yet). I'm also posting this with the original title. Haha. What can I say? I don’t care if you don’t like soccer. My take on The World Cup I don’t care if you don’t like soccer. The World Cup has taken over my household and everyone in it and around it. Daily televised games are turned on whether I have housework or writing to do – it must be playing in the background. It has taken hostage of my Twitter account and as well my Facebook. It holds me in its thrall as I watch nation after nation stride proudly out onto the pitch and sing their national anthems with a fervor I’ve little seen anywhere else. I wait impatiently to see the fans in the stands wear their colors and crazy uniforms signifying love for their team. I hang on every world those lovely Euro announcers say. The world, at least f...

“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” - FDR

Tears are hot this morning as the rain threatens, heavy dark clouds looming. I'm at a loss.  What have we become ?   This big country full of pride and patriotism.  This, on the eve of our nation's birthday.  I am ashamed. My tears run unchecked . Battles fought. Battles won. The over-taking of a country that wasn't ours. Tribes and nations and proud peoples reduced.  Herded like so many cattle onto patches of land. Stay there.                                                                      So we don't see you.  As well the lovely ebony-skinned people taken. Taken from their beautiful shores and shoved in boats.  Brought like non-humans into a land that they didn't ask for. Humanity and the heavens cried hot rivers of emotion.  I see more pe...

Staring at the blank page knowing it's time. My head wants to scroll mindlessly. But You  have told me it's time.  I must listen and find the courage.