House Speak
I take frequent walks and the houses I pass always grab my attention. As part of my Tranquiliving business, I give staging consultations to folks selling their homes. I'm hyper-vigilant about every single exterior detail of a house—the curb appeal. After all, the exterior is ...
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Thoughts on a Quiet House
The sink shouldn't be empty. There should be at least one stray cereal bowl filled with water...waiting to be washed. The desk in the entry way is naked—where are the keys with the antique bent silver spoon? The window by the kitchen table is still ...
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The Most Powerful Force
When our kids were young and Saturdays rolled around we had Family Night. We encouraged our children to invite friends; it was a fun way to introduce some of them to our Christian faith. On one occasion my husband, Tom, asked everyone, "What's the most ...
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To Love a Child
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson It's 3:00-ish in the afternoon. A chilly sunny February day. I'm kneeling on our deck, working on a current project— applying dark stain to 2x4 plywood ...
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A Fairy Tale Comes True
Scoot a little closer my friends and listen to one of my favorite love stories. Twelve years ago I had a phone call from a young woman named Barbara, inquiring about the small group we hosted in our home. The pastor of our church referred ...
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Organizing—Enjoying the Process
"For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned". Benjamin Franklin This week I devoted about four (very hot) hours to organizing our attic. As I had plenty of time to think, I recalled some of my clients and the things I've learned. One lady ...
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How I Got the Life I Really Wanted
God knows all things past, present, and future. There is no limit to His knowledge, for God knows everything completely before it even happens. (Romans 11:33). My granddaughter and I were taking a stroll. I found myself looking for sale signs among a group of ...
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Drowning in Stuff
Raise your hand if you're overwhelmed with too much stuff! I awoke this morning; my mind inundated with thoughts of extreme clutter. Recent projects for clients have me realizing how overwhelmed one can feel and how paralyzed and crazy one can become when surrounded by ...
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Some Thoughts on Goal Setting
"The flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today..." I first heard about setting goals when I was twenty-something. I loved the idea. I'm a dreamer. For several years I would, excitedly, as the new year dawned, write down all the things I wanted ...
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I Need a Hug
“ "Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin” – Mother Teresa A new year is beginning! What have I been lugging around in 2016 that I don't need in 2017? That's what I'm asking myself. I'm sorting ...
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A Meaningful Christmas
For years I strove for The Perfect Christmas. My gene pool generously blessed me with an extra dose of perfectionism. In case you think perfectionism is a positive trait, it's not. It's a disposition that regards anything short of perfection as unacceptable. Basically it means ...
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Giving Thanks
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton Is there anyone besides me who thinks that our traditional Thanksgiving holiday has gone missing? No one on the planet loves Christmas more than ...
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