Louder Than the Voices

 Good morning! Happy Saturday from right in the middle of the craziness for me. I just got home from a few days in St. Louis for a work conference, and Andrew and I are leaving Monday afternoon to go back to St. Louis to catch a plane to San Antonio Tuesday morning for a board meeting and conference planning. I love San Antonio, so when things worked out that we could stay a couple of extra days, I was game. I will get back, though, and have four days left before I have my major staff training of the year. There is a lot going on with LIHEAP right now too, so that is a lot to plan for. Then, to keep life interesting, four days after the staff training, I will have oral surgery and have a bone graft on my front lower teeth. September is going to be something. So, I am trying to fit making a quick trip to Hob Nob, Laundry, repacking, and spending time at the office getting ready for my training all into today.  And maybe that makes this the perfect week to talk about the last pa...

 Happy Friday- I am a day early! I'm posting a little early this week because I'm heading to my sister's for Lincoln's Balloon Festival, and tomorrow morning I plan to be up early watching the balloons instead of sitting at my computer writing a post! And maybe choosing to make room for something I enjoy fits pretty well with what we're talking about this week anyway. We are back for Part 3 of Self-Care Isn't Selfish , and I have to admit, this one may be harder for me than caring for my body. In Part 1, we talked about learning to rest before we run completely empty. In Part 2, we talked about caring for our bodies and actually listening when they tell us they've had enough. This week, we're talking about our minds—and apparently life decided I needed some real-life material for this one too! Earlier this week, I went to the periodontist. I've had periodontal disease for years, and I had a troublesome spot on my gum that just wasn't clearing up....

 I’ve been dealing with periodontal care for many years, so taking care of my teeth and gums at home has become a pretty important part of my daily routine. I’ve tried a lot of different products over the years, but there are a handful that I continue to use because they work well for my routine . I thought I’d put them all in one place in case you’re looking for ideas for your own dental-care routine. Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Of course, I’m not a dentist or periodontist. These are simply products I personally use. If you have periodontal disease or other dental concerns, talk with your dental professional about what is appropriate for you. 1. Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush My Sonicare is the foundation of my daily routine. I prefer an electric toothbrush because it makes it easier...

 Good morning! I'm back! I missed you last Saturday, but as it turns out, life gave me a pretty good lesson in the very series I had just started. I was on our girls' trip, trying to enjoy a few days at the beach while also dealing with a splitting headache and what was believed to be shingles. I had plans for that trip. I wanted to be out enjoying the beach, doing all the things we had planned and making the most of our time away. But my body had some other ideas. There were times I had to go back to the room, get out of the heat, rest and accept that I simply wasn't going to do everything I wanted to do. And apparently, I didn't completely learn the lesson, because I came home and jumped right back in! In Part 1 of Self-Care Isn't Selfish , we talked about how easy it is to keep putting ourselves at the bottom of the list, promising we'll rest or take care of ourselves after everything else is done. And we decided there is just one problem with that: everythi...

 Learning to Rest Before We Run Empty Happy Saturday! It has been a big, scary week for me! I started a new adventure, pitched an idea to our tourism council that means a new project and hosted a meeting yesterday that one of funders experience. I am really, really glad for a change of pace this weekend and I am taking full advantage. IT led me to this next topic and another series so we can break it down. Today we’re starting a new four-part series called Self-Care Isn’t Selfish . Over the next four weeks, we’re going to look at what self-care really means and why it matters, then dig a little deeper into caring for the three parts of ourselves that God has entrusted to us—our bodies, our minds, and our spirits . For a long time, I think I misunderstood self-care. I thought taking care of myself was something I could get to after everything else was done—after the work was finished, after everyone else was taken care of, after the house was handled, the responsibilities were met,...

 Good morning! As we've walked through this series together, I hope one thing has become clear. The goal of a Money Diet isn't simply to get out of debt. It isn't just to have a healthy savings account. It isn't about becoming wealthy. The goal is freedom. Freedom from worrying every time another bill comes in the mail. Freedom from wondering how you're going to make it until payday. Freedom to enjoy the blessings God has given you without guilt or regret. But there is another kind of freedom that I believe is even more important. The freedom to be generous. God actually began teaching me this lesson years ago while I was sitting at a Women of Faith conference listening to Luci Swindoll. She shared how she had struggled with worrying about money and wrestled with God over tithing. She couldn't understand how He expected her to give when there never seemed to be enough. But as she trusted Him, she discovered something that completely changed her perspective. She...