They were swarming around me like pesky mosquitoes, refusing to leave until they had drained and exhausted me. The problem itself was no longer the problem; my thoughts about the problem–the thoughts I couldn’t seem to turn off or get away from–were now the bigger issue. I just wanted to quit overthinking the situation…but I couldn’t seem to stop. I’m not a… Read More
Sometimes I worry. I even fret. Yep, sometimes I have even sunk into lengthy periods of anxiety. It happens. But I know fear is not what God intends for me. In fact, the Bible contains approximately 365 exhortations that say something like, “Fear not!” or “Do not be anxious,” or “Do not worry about…” Not coincidentally, that’s a warning a… Read More
Do you remember the first panicky moment when, as a child, you lost sight of your parents in a crowded place? I don’t recollect the exact incident, but I’m sure we were probably in a crowded Rich’s department store. I was probably playing among the circular racks of women’s clothing when my mom moved on to a different section of… Read More
Sunday afternoon, when my dog-loving daughter Abby was home, we discovered that our smallest and most emotionally insecure dog, Benji, had a large, gaping, puss oozing wound on one of his hind legs. Abby freaked out. That’s Benji there in the front, fresh from the groomer’s last Thursday. Tommy rarely lets him out of his sight. And of course that… Read More
I’ve experienced ground-shaking sadness and frustration in recent months. Some of it, yes, was due to my own vain imaginations, anxieties, and insecurities. But sometimes the ground on which I had so solidly stood before shook beneath me with startling fury because somebody or something completely moved everything that had once stood firm. I’ve had a jolt or two. Solid… Read More
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to Thee I cry all day long. (Psalm 86:3) You may have noticed a melodramatic tone to my blog posts over the past few months. Look, I’m struggling. I don’t mean to whine and I don’t want to go on and on and on about my woes. In fact, I’m ready to be… Read More