Blog: take care of your heart
Posted: October 9, 2026
Yes, I get offended. I still live in a human body that feels pain—one that recoils when I am misunderstood or when someone attacks my character. Is that sinful or wrong? No. God gave us feelings as a dashboard, helping us recognize how we respond to life. The question is: What will I do with this ugly emotion? If I hold on to the offense and remain angry, resentment can grow into bitterness. And bitterness is like a weed in the heart, choking out love, grace, and forgiveness. That is when it becomes sinful. Then it becomes sinful. The Bible clearly tells us: “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15). Bitterness is dangerous. It not only defiles my heart; it can also become a toxin that infects those around me. So…
Posted in: accusations, anger, angry, ask questions, be a blessing, betrayal, bitterness, blessings, break free, celebrate instead of compare, Christ in us, communicate, Conflict, confront conflict, crisis, decisions, disappointments, do the hard work, do the right thing, emotional abuse, emotional triggers, feeling bad, fighting, Finding Truth, forgive one another, Forgiveness, Freedom, God's love, grace, healing, love, Making Wise Choices, misunderstood, Offenses, Overcoming Struggles, power of words, Resentment, selfishness, set free, take care of your heart, toxic relationships
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Posted: March 26, 2026
The cat’s out of the bag; I turned 79 last week! While in Colombia, South American the calendar showed it was my Birthday and wow did I get celebrated. It’s so refreshing to experience how people in other countries esteem and honour older people. I truly felt cherished and celebrated. Whenever people hear my age, they are shocked and wonder why I am still travelling around the world to speak at churches and conferences. I say: “Why not?” As Christians in ministry do, we ever retire? I am so grateful for my body which, to this point, has not let me down. The 31 years of pumping weights in the gym and now these last years of walking and hiking have kept my core strong and infused energy. In the morning when my feet hit the floor, I thank God that my body still works and I am able to…
Posted in: accumulate experiences, achievements, adventure, Age is not a cage, Balancing life, beauty and joy, beauty in God's creation, Best friends, bitterness, celebrate instead of compare, circle of friends, companionship, decisions, do the right thing, don't give up, Encouragement, Expectations, feeling good, find the simple joys, finding yourself, Forgiveness, fresh joy, friends, girlfriends, God's creation, growing old, Hearing God, Hope, Legacy, lifestyle, Made for more, Overcoming Struggles, praise, Prayer deepens relationships, praying with friends, purpose, recapture your joy, regret, seasons of life, show up, take care of your heart, thankful, thanksgiving, we are made for relationships
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Posted: February 9, 2026
Posted in: accusations, all alone, anxiety, ask for help, Balancing life, care, Christ, Come to Jesus, communicate, disappointment, do the right thing, don't you care, Encouragement, Expectations, feeling bad, finding yourself, frustrations, gift of peace, God's voice, heart of God, honest, intersection of faith, invisible, Jesus, lifestyle, live one day at a time, Making Wise Choices, needs, Offenses, Overcoming Struggles, Overwhelmed and Undervalued, Peace, personalities, power of words, presence of God, purpose, Resentment, rest, rhythm, Say no, self worth, take care of your heart, troubled hearts, trust God for today, Understanding each other, we need each other, what rest do you need?
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Posted: October 30, 2025
When a beloved spouse dies suddenly, the world stops in an instant. One moment life is full of laughter, anticipation, conversation and plans for the day. The next moment everything shatters. Everything feels unfamiliar. People are talking but nothing makes sense. There is the noise of ambulances, paramedics, machines and tension-filled voices. But in my mind, everything has stopped and I am in my own world of silence. Something has just happened where I know life will never be the same again. This is what happened to both of my beloved husbands. The next morning you wake up and are faced with a life you never wanted. People ask me which is harder. When someone dies slowly through cancer or a long-term illness, or the sudden death where they are gone in seconds? They are both the hardest things we will ever go through, but they are different. Sudden death…
Posted in: alone, anxiety, anxious, ask for help, counsellor, crisis, cry, death, do the hard work, don't give up, empty soul, Fear, grief affects the brain, grief changes us, grief is lonely, grief is misunderstood, grief is temporary, grit, hypervigilance, hyperviligance, Overcoming Struggles, Prayer, seasons of darkness, take care of your heart, time doesn't heal, trauma, trauma from grief
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Posted: July 7, 2025
An emotional lightning bolt hit me on the golf course. I saw the backside of a man about Jack’s age, wearing a Puma golf hat, with black golf shorts and a blue shirt. That’s exactly what Jack always wore. My heart started to pound; I stopped and couldn’t take my eyes off him. I’m not crazy. Of course I knew it wasn’t Jack. My brain knows Jack died a long time ago. But our grief saturated minds can play powerful tricks on our feelings. The desire to see our loved ones again is so powerful, our hearts become irrational with that deep longing. We’re not crazy we’re just sad. Some smells and sounds trigger emotional responses that are quite shocking. Jack and I had a favorite restaurant which is quite expensive, so we went there only on special occasions. Months after Jack died a family member (who didn’t now it…
Posted in: alone, ask God, breathing, brokenness, circumstances, cry, darkness, death, despair, disappointments, emotional recovery, emotional triggers, empathy, Encouragement, feeling bad, grief affects the brain, grief changes us, grief is lonely, grief is misunderstood, grief is unpredictable, Hope, live one day at a time, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, refining process, seasons of darkness, Self-compassion, special kind of love, suffering, take care of your heart, time doesn't heal, trauma, we need each other
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Posted: January 13, 2025
People seem tired. Overwhelmed. Don’t know how to fix it. This generation has more conveniences and shot-cuts than any other portion of history, so why are we so weary? Around 2005 when the Internet revolutionized the world we became global stalkers with 24/7 access and information. Don’t even get me started on what technology has done to our lives. Let’s move toward solutions. Firstly, ask yourself what kind of rest you need. Do you need physical rest that craves more sleep, naps, sitting and doing nothing? Do you need social rest that demands freedom from the onslaught of screen times and dopamine stimulation? Do you struggle with FOMO (fear of missing out) and need a break from social activities? Do you need to take a break from your daily demands and lean into something that will stimulate your creative energy? To discover what kind of rest you need I highly…
Posted in: Anticipation, ask for help, bend your neck, Christ in us, Come to Jesus, despair, dopamine, empty soul, feeling bad, FOMO, Freedom from Busyness, healing, lifestyle, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, physical rest, rest, rhythm, Sacred Rest, Say no, screen times, simplicity, sleep, social rest, take care of your heart, weariness, what rest do you need?, worry, yoke
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Posted: June 10, 2024
We want to be nice girls so we stuff our feelings, paste on a plastic smile and carry on. Inwardly the heart churns and toxic fumes accumulate as we drink our own poison hoping the other person will die. Resentment is the number one killer of relationships, especially marriages. I consider myself an expert on this topic as I learned how to recognize and survive this toxic crisis in my first marriage. I recall how each time I felt resentment, I wanted to pick up a rock and throw it toward my enemy. But because I tried to have harmony in the home I hid the rock (my anger) and put it into a pretty little imaginary box where it would be nice and safe. I was clueless about the dangers of ultimate explosions. I did not know that resentment was: Feeling heartbroken after exerting a great deal of effort…
Posted in: accusations, adversity, angry, Anticipation, anxiety, ask God, Assumptions, betrayal, confront conflict, disappointments, do the hard work, don't give up, Expectations, faulty thinking, Finding Truth, forgive one another, frustrations, grit, healing, honest, Hope, messes, Offenses, Overcoming Struggles, power of words, relationships, Resentment, set free, shame, take care of your heart, Tension, trouble, Understanding each other, worry
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Posted: May 10, 2024
I’m not telling you I’m alone on Mother’s Day to feel sorry for myself, or for you to take pity on me. I’m alone and that’s just a fact. None of my children, step-children or grandchildren live near me and sometimes that really wounds. Mother’s Day is a big Hallmark moment with flowers and cards, and many women suffer silently knowing they are alone. This blog is for women who have to put on a brave face for Mother’s Day. “Above all else protect your heart”. (Proverbs 4:23) Since my husband’s death I’ve had to learn how to get through these lonely Hallmark moments. I prepare ahead of time. I’ve already booked myself in as a single on a golf course, and I’m already looking forward to it. Why not do the same…not golf but perhaps lunch or a hike with a friend? Maybe your way of overcoming loneliness is…
Posted in: all alone, alone, companionship, empathy, Encouragement, grit, hiking, loneliness, loneliness epidemic, make time for each other, Mothers Day, our children, Overcoming Struggles, relationships, take care of your heart, we need each other
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Posted: April 1, 2024
With the world swirling in chaos all around us we need something real and meaningful to hold onto. Something that really works. Before someone dies they have no reason to hold back words of love and wisdom. After all the heard earned wisdom they’ve gleaned in this life, now is the time to say what really works and matters. Before Jesus went to the cross to die for our sins He gave us a priceless gift: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you: (John 14:27). “My peace I give you.” After Jesus’ resurrection and when He met his disciples behind locked doors, He frightened and startled them, thinking He was a ghost. The first words to them out of Jesus’ mouth were: “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:26). There it is again, the gift of peace. That gives me goose bumps, Why is peace such a powerful…
Posted in: anxiety, ask God, chaos, Christ in us, Finding Truth, gift of peace, Overcoming Struggles, pain, Peace, Prayer, priceless gift of peace, take care of your heart, troubles, worry
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Posted: January 12, 2024
Over Christmas I fed my body a little too much and it grew. You know what I’m saying. Maybe yours did too? Because what we feed grows. When we water and feed our houseplants, they grow rich and beautiful. When we feed our children they grow up to be big beautiful human beings. What we feed grows. So we have to ask ourselves, “What I am feeding?” I have to be honest; there are hard days with big problems that I can’t solve. As a result I feed self-pity. There are times when I look at my circumstances and I feel like I might drown. What do I feed? Self-defeat, I’m not smart enough to solve my problems. Sometimes I feel like somebody is disappointed in me and doesn’t like me. Maybe I’ve done something wrong. What do I feed? I feed unworthiness. I’m not good enough, not likeable. So what do…
Posted in: beauty and joy, beauty in God's creation, desires, disappointments, Eat God's word, empty soul, feeling good, God's creation, God's promises are true, happy heart, Heavenly Father, Making Wise Choices, Overcoming Struggles, pity, presence of God, rest, self-defeat, take care of your heart, thankful, transformation, unlovable, What we feed grows
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