2020

Randy and I both faced unexpected rejection yesterday. One of my clients, who I have been working with since December, decided that he no longer needed/wanted my writing and editing services. I received the "we're going in a different direction" email, which we all know is code for "you aren't cutting it so I'll just do it myself." In Randy's case, he had been invited to put in a bid to cater a fundraiser next month, and he too received a "thank you, but..." email. The question is: what do you do in the face of rejection? I can't speak for you, but this is how we handled yesterday: First, I read the rejection email. Then, I put it aside for 5 minutes while I prayed, thanking God for having given me the opportunity, the challenge, and the extra cash flow when I needed it, trusting that He had bigger and better things planned for my now "free time." Next, I replied to the email with a "thank you for the update,...

“Transitions are hard.” My friend Terri made this statement last month while we were having dinner in Richmond, Indiana, and the words keep coming up for me. They resonate with me. There is so much truth in those three simple words. Whether we realize it or not, our lives are always in a state of transition. Too often we think of transition as only a major shift in our lives. This week, our friends Benjamin and Mali and their two children came for a visit near the end of their epic RV road trip across America. In the past year they transitioned from having one child to two, Mali transitioned from working full time to part time, they transitioned from living in a home they own to living in a rented RV, and their next transition is a move to New Zealand where they have committed to stay for at least a year. (You can read their story here: Flawless Plans .) I think that pretty much makes them crazy. But Randy and I have also had many major transitions in our lives in the ...

I have been reminded several times this week that, while we may not always get to choose our circumstances, we always get to choose our attitudes and reactions to those circumstances. Too often we let our emotions choose us, but if we are intentional we can make better choices. For example, the week started off with some very frustrating news. You might remember, back in January, that I was in the process of finalizing the sale of my house in Indiana (read the story here: " The Middle "). At that point, I thought the "check was in the mail." But setback after setback (none that were of any fault or choosing of my own) have followed that post and I'm still waiting for this thing to be finalized. Our closing date was last Friday, but on Monday morning I learned of yet another setback. After getting the news, the more I thought about it the more frustrated I became. By the time Randy came home for lunch I was in tears. After letting me vent for the necessary fe...

"Thank You For Visiting" On the Cardinal Greenway in Richmond, Indiana Two of the three books I read during our recent visit to Indiana and Ohio made mention of the importance of intentionally investing in our relationships. This wasn't the premise of either book (" Scouting the Divine " by Margaret Feinberg, and " So Long, Insecurity " by Beth Moore), but the mention by both authors caught my attention. (Incidentally, relationships were also important in the third book that I read, " All The Light We Cannot See ," by Anthony Doerr.) I knew that there were certain relationships I wanted to invest in during our trip: Grandma - About the same time that I moved to California, my grandmother moved from Arkansas to Ohio. I'm so excited that when Randy and I travel to Ohio now we can see her too! And we did have a wonderful time together, from a pizza party to playing dominoes to a trip to Dairy Queen. My parents - Randy and I stay w...