![The Art of Grieving]()
by | Life Application
I miss her. She was a mentor, a friend, a confidant. I sat under her authority, confided in her with some of my deepest, darkest secrets, and shared many laughs with her.
photo credit: grungetextures (creative commons)
It seems as though one day she was here and the next she wasn’t. I would like to say the change happened overnight, but it really didn’t. It was a gradual process – little things here and there.
I’d get a check in my spirit, but I’d brush it off because I thought she could be trusted. I should’ve listened to my gut, but I didn’t.
Yesterday I was bitter. I didn’t want to talk about her. I didn’t want to think about her. I certainly didn’t want to forgive her. One minute I was furious and the next I found myself missing her terribly.
I’m realizing something though, in the midst of this pain. I’m hurting the right way. I’m grieving.
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by | Life Application
What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you think about forgetting your cell phone? Do you start to panic? Do your palms get sweaty? Do you think of all the things you will miss out on if you’re without this lifeline for 15, 20, even 2 hours?
I get it. We live in an age where we have to be connected to everyone, everywhere, all the time. Or so we think.
What if we actually gave ourselves permission to disconnect?
The other day I had plans to meet a friend for dinner and a movie. Since we were meeting at Panera for dinner, I decide to go a couple of hours earlier to have a change of scenery and finish up some work.
As I reached for my bag I realized I had forgotten my cell phone. I could feel a slight panic coming on and my thoughts started to race, going something like this:
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by | Life Application
Have you ever wished you could tell your story? Perhaps you want to share with the world your redemption story. A memoir? A children’s book? A collection of poetry to share with your family?
photo credit: jjpacres
I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since the sixth grade. My teacher, Mrs. Moore, made our class do these “stupid” poetry books. I hated the thought of it. The rebellious person that I was fought the idea of doing such a thing.
Then the pen hit the paper. Yes, there was ink and everything.
I was in love. I knew the minute I started writing, something great was going to happen. I felt inspired. Creative. Something about writing made me feel connected. Mrs. Moore had to make me stop.
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by | Life Application
Dolly Parton is the greatest entertainer ever. If you just read that line and asked yourself, “Who is Dolly Parton?” please bang your head against the wall three times before you finish reading.
I’m not like most 29-year-olds. I grew up on country music, but when I first heard the voice of Dolly Parton singing “Silver and Gold” around my dad’s kitchen table, I was hooked for life. There was just something about her voice that soothed me. Still is.
Fast forward to 1997-ish. I was following my grandma through her general store and I came across a stack of records. There they were, calling my name like a voice out of the sky. (Slight dramatization.) Three Dolly Parton records, yes records, from the ‘70s. Vinyl. 12 inches. Still in the sleeves and in great condition.
I could hear them calling my name, begging me to pick them up, take them home, and put them on my wall. I didn’t have a record player, but at least I could tell people I owned actual vinyl records from Dolly Parton. That was cool news coming from a 14-year-old. Okay, maybe just cool to me, but, whatever.
To read the rest of the story and see if those records became mine, join me over at The Daily Gallen for the rest of the post.
Click here to learn the rest of the story.
by | Life Application
Note: This poll is now closed. You can still see the concepts below and which one won.
This is my 500th blog post. Woot! Woot! To celebrate, I’m giving something away. See details below.
My first published book is coming right along, but I need your help making some decisions.
Before we get to that I want to share some details with you. The full book title is Dear Dad, Did You Know I Was a Princess? (Tate Publishing)
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by | Life Application
Since Liar Liar is available on Amazon Kindle only, I won’t be traveling around the world signing the autograph you’ve been standing in line for 30 minutes to have me sign. (Okay I’m dreaming, I know)
photo credit: jm3 (creative commons)
But I am doing an online book tour…
I’m trying to spread the word about this manifesto without leaving home to do it. Do you think we can do it together?
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