Nearly two years ago I had a difficult season of anxiety, complete with racing heart, physical weariness, anxious thoughts spiraling out of control, and life-altering worry that engulfed my every thought and breath. One of the ways my anxiety crippled my life during that challenging time was when I drove at high speeds on the interstate. Usually when I drive up and down the west coast of Florida on Interstate-75, I’m fine. In fact, driving places was never an issue in my life until I had my first experience with anxiety a few years back. My family lives almost two hours south in Cape Coral, ... Read the Post
A Hands-Full Decade
“I’m hungry! Let’s pray.” Chase piped up as I set down napkins and silverware. Both boys wiggled in their chairs at the dinner table. Trevor had just walked in the door, and he dropped his briefcase, hurriedly changed clothes, and joined us in the kitchen. As the four of us clasped hands, my hubby of almost fourteen years thanked God and blessed the food. But in that moment, I had to gulp down surprise at the sheer size of the two hands in mine; one of them almost-ten year old Cole’s hand and one of them just-turned-eight Chase’s hand. No longer small or unsteady, their hands nearly ... Read the Post
Playing with Dirt
“They’re still playing with dirt.” From the front seat of our truck, I smiled at Chase’s observation about the main entrance of our neighborhood. When we moved into our house a few years ago, the front entrance to our subdivision was mostly woods with a couple of ponds on the south side, while on the north side was a sandy field dotted with pine trees, live oaks, and scrub brush that we affectionately called “the sand pit.” We often ran around the sand pit during our frequent family walks. We were saddened when, last fall, the sand pit was razed, leaving behind a bare, brown expanse now ... Read the Post
The Search
I was laying on the floor of our boys’ bedroom one afternoon, peering behind their bunk beds, when Cole walked in. “Help me look for Spike,” I mumbled. “I can’t find him.” The Johnson house is a critter haven, one of which is a sixteen-inch Chinese Water Dragon named Spike. Spike is allowed loose in our boys’ lizard-proof bedroom for a couple of hours each day, and he often hides out on the tall fake tree next to the window. Occasionally he scrambles off the tree and hides when he’s frightened. I figured that’s what happened this particular time, but as Cole and I searched their room, our ... Read the Post
Bad Reception
I remember the day my hubby handed me my new Droid phone. I looked at him blankly, wondering why he was handing me a calculator and how in the world would this gadget fit in my hand, purse, and life. I’m an old-fashioned girl with a technology allergy that flairs up around digital devices. I do well enough around computers, but that’s about it. In time I got used to speaking into my calculator-phone, and I’ve realized it’s an important tool for communication. When it comes to music I’m still i-less: no iPad, iPod, or iTouch, (though I do have iDrops if anyone needs them). Instead, I get in ... Read the Post