By Beth Demme It’s my birthday! This blog post publishes on the day I turn … wait for it … FORTY years old. On the one hand, ugh. I’m 40. But at the same time, I find myself thinking: “I’m 40? Wow! Time flies when you’re having fun!” In celebration of my first forty years, I have some very random …
A Lesson In Humility
By Beth Demme “They are the problem. Not me,” I said, completely unaware of how sanctimonious and unfriendly I sounded. “They don’t seem to know how to express the love of God.” I went on, still unaware of the growing plank in my eye. “Some Christians are just closed-minded and they wrap that mess up in a cloak of false …
How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography
How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography By Beth Demme A Spiritual Autobiography is the story of your own life and how God has been present in it. It can include your journey in, and out of, organized religion and all things spiritual. Writing your Spiritual Autobiography is an opportunity to identify specific experiences of God and to reflect on how …
The Problem With Father’s Day
By Beth Demme As we approach Father’s Day this year I’m in the midst of an emotional quandary, pulled between grief and celebration. It’s already been 16 months since my father passed away, but it seems like we were chatting and laughing together yesterday. His absence from my life is palpable and bottomless. In these months, nearly a dozen of …
Measuring Your Child’s Value
{This is a guest post I wrote for a blog-series called: “Helping Children Build A Strong Sense of Self-Worth.” Take a minute to read the whole series here or here. Thanks to Lisa and Tanya for encouraging moms to think and write about this topic and more.} Early in our children’s elementary school experience I learned to dread “The Weekly Folder.” Very early. …
I Wish I Could Earn God’s Love
I like to be seen as capable and competent. I like it when people ask me to be in charge or take on a leadership role. I like it when people tell me I’m doing a good job. As I’m learning, learning, learning to live loved I see how my desire to be seen as a capable and competent person has …
Happy Blog-day!
They say 1 dog year = 7 human years. If that’s true, I think 1 blog year = about 17 thousand million human years. One year ago this week I launched this blog so I’m basically an expert on this. To mark the one year anniversary, I’m going back to the beginning. This is one of the first things I …
How Traveling Makes God Bigger
“What dam?” my sweet daughter asked innocently. “What dam?!” I responded incredulously. My tone conveyed how very annoyed I was by her question. Partly I blame the heat. Afterall, it was 110℉. Partly I blame sweet daughter. How could she ask that question? How could she have missed the d‑a‑r‑n dam! We had just completed a two-hour float trip at …
Spring Clean Your Attitude in 3 Steps
I was standing in my closet the other day, contemplating how badly it needs to be cleaned out. Standing there and thinking wasn’t as productive as actually cleaning it out, but —to be honest— I still felt like I accomplished something. Standing there, I came face to face with reality. My closet is crowded with stuff I don’t need. There …
God Knows I’m Trying
You’ve probably seen this video showing a group of ducklings struggling to follow Mommy Duck up the stairs. If you haven’t seen it, take ten seconds to watch this part of it — it will make you smile! What you see is the twelfth little duckling trying to hop to the top. Eleven have managed, but he seems unable to conquer the …