Refreshed Women

Thanksgiving and Christmas are over for another year.  Have you already played your last Christmas carol, taken down the Christmas tree, packed away all the decorations, and are now busily designing…

Can you hear it? Do you hear the music?  Regardless of the hurried nature of the season and often overwhelming responsibilities, there is a song being sung. It is a song of rejoicing.  Can you…

At a recent party, Dustin and Christy, friends from church, gave me a belated birthday present. It was a lovely gift in a gift bag filled with tissue paper.  After the…

Today marks the birthday of my precious husband, Reen! He is my very best friend, encourager, partner in writing and ministry, nearest companion and dearest love. Reen and I met…

Dear Friends! Last Sunday following the church service, Emily turned to ask, “How can I be sure I will continue getting your podcasts? I love them! I don’t know how…

OK. Be honest with me. As you anticipate Thanksgiving this week, are you frantically praying it will not be like last Thanksgiving… or some other nightmare Thanksgiving experience you remember…

As we continue our discussion about truth during the holidays, I was captivated by an article sent to me by a friend entitled, “Mister Rogers: A Presence Transformed by Prayer,”…

Recently, I was in a group where we shared our anticipation of the holidays. One friend remarked, “I simply don’t celebrate the holidays anymore.” As she continued talking, it became…

Last week was my birthday and Reen, my husband, outdid himself. He made it the best birthday I can remember. He awakened me with breakfast in bed, a gift, and…

Is Halloween really harmless? In a culture that increasingly glamorizes and commercializes evil and death with TV programming titles like “Lucifer” and “Evil,” horror shows about the Walking Dead, and…

I discovered this script while preparing for theCoastal Carolina University writing course I teach this Wednesday. I think it has a message for us all. So fellow travelers (family, neighbors,…

Fall signals the return of crisp, cool mornings, harvesting of crops and meals around the table laden with food we often call “comfort” foods. Why do they bring us comfort? They…

Hi! This is Reen and I’m writing this week’s blog because Linda is preparing to teach a Bible study tomorrow. I laughed when she asked me to write this week’s…

October has arrived! I love October…always have…always will. It may be because it’s my birth month, but I think more importantly I love when the weather itself announces a new…

Talk about a rough week! This past week was a tough one. Living Your Refreshed Life doesn’t mean life will be completely pain-free and without problems. I experienced that this week. I’d been…

Reen discovered this story in a cherished vintage devotional book. I was intrigued. When last did YOU have an audience with the King? The writer explains that he was going…

The rain-drenched newscaster pulls down the hood of his navy “slicker” (as they say in New England) in a feeble attempt to fight the wind. Frantically flailing palm fronds whip…

Mike Hyatt, in his book, “Your Best Year Yet” lists three types of limiting beliefs. They are beliefs about the world, beliefs about others, and beliefs about ourselves. These are…

“I can’t do that. It’s just too much work…will take too long…takes too much energy…is too complicated.” When did you stop trying to do new and interesting things? Are these…

Limiting beliefs. Everyone has them. What are your limiting beliefs? Do they look like any of these? How do these limiting beliefs rob your life of refreshment and fulfillment? In…

My neighbor, Kathy, stopped by to “catch up”. She bemoaned the summer heat, the remainder of August, and the lethargy she felt. “I just don’t feel like doing anything,” she…

Tom confessed to his wife, “Honey, I’ll be honest. I’ve really been scared lately.” Emily looked up surprised at her husband’s admission. “Really?” she said. “What are you scared about?”…

It was March and Jim was already dreading the next few weeks. Tax season was bearing down hard this year. Clients were calling constantly about the tax code changes and…

Successful relationships take time, nurture, and intentional care. Marriage is no exception and possibly the most difficult because it requires 24/7 attention. But there is nothing more rewarding on this…

Reen and I walk hand-in-hand in the parking lot as we head to the theater for Date Night. He suddenly spins me around in a dance move until I am…

Climbing up the dune pathway to the parking lot, I reflected on the company I just enjoyed with 15 women gathered in a circle of beach chairs in the sand….

I heard something really interesting today.  A&W Root Beer, in their desire to celebrate their 100th anniversary and strengthen family communication, are recommending that families recreate the tradition of Friday…

Reen tells the story of “keys” and their importance in his life as he sought freedom from rejection. Here’s his story. See if you can relate… “I love keys. Maybe…

I opened one of my favorite magazines, Magnolia Journal, with the cover title, “You were made to be FREE.” Joanna Gaines writes, “there’s a good chance you’ve already learned that…

Yesterday I gave myself permission to do something I rarely do. It’s a summer thing I’ve loved since I was a young girl, but I rarely take time to enjoy….

We’ve been talking about rest this month.  Yesterday a friend called to ask me how I find time to rest, knowing my many and varied responsibilities. I told her I…

“Busyness is the plague of modern America,” states a recent news commentator.  America is obsessed with busyness. When asked “How are you doing?” the typical answer is, “I’m so busy,”…

Do you ever catch yourself thinking these things? My mind is tired. I don’t feel like thinking. I don’t feel like working. I don’t feel like doing anything… Do you…

I hung out the lowered car window, hair blown by the soothing breeze, mesmerized. There were no fences, no boundaries, and no constraints. There, free in the wild and only…

We complete this focus on resurrection as relates to PTSD with exciting news concerning our minds and traumatic events. It is interesting that Evidence-Based Psychotherapy ( EBP), as mentioned in…

Recently a dear friend admitted she suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that occurred when she was a missionary in a war torn country. Thinking this only happened to…

We were designed not only with a mind, emotion, and body, but also with a spirit. Your unique spirit is really the core of your identity, the fullness of your…

As we step into Spring and anticipate Easter (which we call Resurrection Day in our family), resurrection is our topic for the month.Living a Refreshed Life affects every aspect of your…

Spring is here! White and pink tree blossoms decorate the landscape, fresh green grass colors the lawns, yellow daffodils sway in the breeze, and the birds seem to be actually…