*** Welcome Spring – A Promise of New Beginnings | Inspiration * The daffodils are waving and the trees are in vibrant bloom. Birds are singing and butterflies are emerging. As nature crawls out of hibernation and we transition from winter into spring, we witness the promise of new beginnings. Take a deep breath, smile and feel the connection to the earth. The cold damp weather has turned to warm sunshine. New grass is emerging. The sights, smells, and sounds of the outside make me want to take my coffee out on the stone terrace and experience the magic of all the new begin ..read more

Use my 3-3-3 Method to Calm Your Anxiety (I am not a physician or a mental health professional. This is my own process to calm my late-night anxiety.)   ***   A few nights ago, worry had consumed my mind. I lay wide awake knowing sleep would not come easily tonight. Perhaps you’ve had a similar experience. When worry or fear or a feeling of being overwhelmed hits you at night, it seems harder to work through than daytime problems. It was during this latest sleepless night for me that I realized I was working through a process to get through the night and hopefully get some sleep ..read more

Enjoy a Joyful Family This Christmas Using These Special Ideas   ***   Mom is complaining about Dad being late because he couldn’t find his shoes. Billy and Susie are squabbling over a toy. And the burnt pies set off the smoke alarm. Yikes! There is still hope for this to be a joyful family this Christmas.   ***   When I started thinking about joyful families, my friend April Tribe Giauque, immediately came to mind. I reached out to April and asked for her thoughts on her own joyful family and this is what she had to say …   I waved my family into the living room. My y ..read more

Finding Hope Through Resilience   ***   After a recent mammogram, Emily received a call to meet with her doctor. As she suspected, her test results showed breast cancer. She listened intently to all the information and the next steps. As she was leaving the doctor’s office, she sent me this text, “I have breast cancer. I am hopeful. I am joyful.” When I first met Emily, she was overworked, burnt out, and stressed to the maximum. Over time, she had started a fitness plan and eating healthier food. Living in the city meant she walked many of the places she went including church. Attend ..read more

***   Discover Your Joy – The Back Story. Or I could just call it The Life and Times of Louise.   I am a JOY-fanatic! Ten years ago, my minister spoke on the subject of JOY. He cautioned us to watch for “joy stealers.” His message resonated with me and led me to what became my favorite Bible verse. “Rejoice always.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV. It has taken me on a journey that makes my mind, my heart, and my soul soar with joy!   ***   Daddy   We all have ups and downs in our lives, and I had been through a dark time. The death of my sweet Daddy rocked my world. Daddy wa ..read more

  ***   Kindness Matters – Be kind one to another. ***   My husband gave me a set of daily journals that track habits, gratitude, mood, and some other things. Then there’s a weekly recap with more questions. One of which is, “What are 3 kind things you did this week?” This question really made me stop and think. Kindness means being considerate of others and that thought prompted me to ask my private Facebook group this question. “What would be some kind acts that you could do?” Here are some of their answers.            Volunteer     ..read more

Watch Your Words – A Short Essay on Toxic Positivity ***   Thoughts to ponder   Have you ever really thought about your vocabulary? Do you use pleasant and kind words when speaking to others? Or is your speech harsh, demeaning, or controlling? Our words can have a lasting impact on the person we say them to without us ever realizing it. I remember when I was six or seven years old a neighbor who commented on my reddish auburn hair. That’s a long time to remember a compliment. I also remember some other not-so-pleasant comments but I’ll skip over those for now. When I wrote my first b ..read more

When Will the Waves Stop: Can Anxiety and Gratitude Coexist in our Minds and Bodies   ***  My young niece was playing at the edge of the ocean and the waves kept rolling in. She just wanted to play in the water and not be disturbed by the waves. Finally, she looked up at her Mom and asked, “When will the waves stop?” Do you ever have a similar feeling? You just want to do what needs to be done without the distractions. And do your distractions feel like the constant never-ending ocean waves? While my niece was asking an innocent question, as adults, we have similar grown-up ques ..read more

Finding Joy In Our Daily Lives – We Might Be Looking In The Wrong Place   * As we get older some of us seem to lose the sense of wonder, happiness and joy we experienced as young children. Where did it go? As adults, the pressures we face day after day – job stresses, dealing with health issues, money issues, children, parents, the pandemic, rising inflation and a host of other challenges and problems – can wear us down and wear us out. The world seems to get darker and harder to navigate. At some point, we realize we have lost it. And we naturally blame “the world” and the challenges it ..read more

Nurture Your Body, Mind, and Spirit Through Self-Care   *** Everyone and everything has to wait. Today, I’m loving myself first!  But, I must digress a bit to a few years ago. My head was spinning. My heart was racing. I felt nauseated. I felt dizzy. I could barely sit up. I surely could not drive myself home.  What was happening to me?  Why did I feel so bad?  What was I going to do? The doctor at the hospital said I had an anxiety attack.  This happened three times and finally, I knew I had to do something about it.  After some soul-searching and promises t ..read more