The meaning of prayer: breaking it down

Photo by Benjamin Suter on Unsplash.

During my husband’s and my move from Arizona’s Southwest Valley—to a small town located along the Mogollon Rim that borders the Coconino National Forest—we left our old lives behind to begin a new adventure. At one point, a vehicle passed us with the words “Keep praying!”…[read more]

Owning it: accepting that your feelings are valid

Photo by Noah Blaine Clark on Unsplash.

We’re more than one month into our adventure and guess what? It’s much harder than we anticipated. We ask ourselves often: What did we miss? Did we want it so much that we ignored logic? Maybe. Would we feel differently had we not contracted COVID? Probably…[read more]

One foot in front of the other: building connection

In my latest writing workshop, participants chose one goal and noted it on the left-hand side of the page, with desired/expected results on the right—and a bridge connecting one side to the other. This is where we filled in actionable “steps”…[read more]

Transplant shock: handling transition

Photo by Khalil on Unsplash.

Whether it’s a new town, home, vocation or church or even where you shop for groceries—or all of the above!)—transplant shock is a thing…[read more]

Unpacking the ‘feels:’ shedding the old for the new

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash.

A couple months ago, I announced my “retirement” (I use that term loosely!) and spent five weeks preparing for my replacement. During that time, I also entertained out-of-town family, my husband and I sold our home and…[read more]

The in-between space: how to bridge the gap

Photo by Tim Swaan on Unsplash.

Prior to the final move to our wooded property in Northern Arizona—both vehicles loaded down with last-minute household items, clothes and the contents of our fridge and freezer—my husband and I spent a week wrapping up loose ends in the Southwest Valley. It proved an ongoing challenge to…[read more]

Let in the light: combating darkness

Ever notice how—when darkness draws near—doubts creep in? Yet, in the light of day, with the sun streaming through the windows, worries and unfounded fears fade away. This has been my experience for years, so…[read more]

After the leap: beginning a new journey

If you follow my weekly blog posts and receive my Always the Write Time emails, you’re privy to a fresh leap of faith my husband and I recently took. Rather than live with a retirement mentality, we prayerfully chose to retire “early”…[read more]

Two are better than one: sharing our burdens

Photo by Honey Fangs on Unsplash.

Two are better than one… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10a

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I were acting out the bad-cop, good-cop scenario during a situation wrought with adulting. You know the kind: big decisions with life-altering consequences. On one day, I’d be…[read more]

When you achieve happy-ever-after: what comes next?

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

The less time you spend dreaming up a world of happily ever after, the more time you’ll have to actually live… ~ Abby McDonald

When you achieve a dream or a goal, do you ever consider what comes next? Predictably, in fairytales and modern-day romances, the two love interests ride off into the sunset. Yet what about the “ever-after” part…[read more]