Yesterday I was supervising afternoon recess at the small Christian school where I teach music when the following interaction caught my eye. A little girl had just taken a tumble off of the monkey bars. She began to cry and carry on in a rather dramatic fashion, so I headed over to her to make sure she wasn’t injured. One of her little friends who had been comforting her suddenly jumped up and started to run off. The girl left sitting on the ground yelled out “You don’t even care!” Her friend yelled back, “I do, too, care. I just
Author: Laurel
Welcome! I am a wife, proud mama of two adult daughters, writer, teacher, and a follower of Jesus who finds joy in mentoring and encouraging others to live passionate lives full of hope and purpose. A graduate of Idaho State University, I currently teach music at a private elementary school. I also lead a bible study group for moms of all ages, in all seasons of life.
Come join me in simply embracing this amazing gift called life!
Today marks 19 years since my dad left this earth and stepped into heaven. He was a remarkable man. A tremendous storyteller, musician, and truly kind-hearted soul. I came along as a later-in-life surprise for him. He turned 42 just 2 weeks after my birth. He always told me that I was the best surprise he ever had. Even though I wasn’t necessarily planned for, I knew that I was wanted and loved. I’m sure that my arrival caused some disruption. However, I always felt secure in the love of my parents. Even though I was a surprise to my
When I woke up this morning to the news of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, my heart was broken. Another senseless act of violence. Innocent lives lost. Pain and suffering. Trauma and fear. An act of pure evil that will forever change lives. How can we feel loved in the midst of such tragedy? How can I possibly bring a word of encouragement on this topic while the death count and number of victims injured in the deadliest mass shooting in our nation’s history just keeps rising? After turning off the news and taking a minute to quiet my
Welcome to 31 Days of Simply Loved! I’m so happy that you are here! Once again, I am accepting the challenge to write something in this space every day for the entire month of October. I have done this a few times now, but it still seems a bit daunting. It wouldn’t really be a challenge if it was easy, right? I am excited to see what this month has in store. I chose the topic for this series back in early August. I was on my way home from a day trip with my husband and oldest daughter. We
My sweet dog Baxter has been slowly losing his eyesight over the course of the last year. When I realized what was happening, I was heartbroken. It was hard for me to accept that he was going blind. I was very worried about his quality of life. Baxter’s vet gently explained that this loss would actually be harder on me than it is on him. She was right. My furry companion has proven to be quite resilient. I have learned a lot from watching my little guy go through this transition. Here are just a few of the life lessons