soman in grey sweater and white shirt leaning back on a sofa with her hands behind her head, relaxing.

TAKE IT EASY

As good as it is for us to be engaged with activities and people, we need to balance that with periods of rest and relaxation.

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Boy in mid-air preparing to do a cannonball into a swimming pool while two friends look on.

IT’S SUMMERTIME!

When June comes around each year and summertime begins, I recall my joy as a young kid loving the warm weather and the freedom of summer.

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Signers of the Declaration of Independence

OUR DOCUMENT OF FREEDOM

The men who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence knew they were putting their lives on the line. If caught, they faced execution as traitors to Britain.

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Love yourself. Love your body concept. . Take time for your self. Woman hugging herself with hearts on white background. Pastel pink cute soft colors

JUST AS I AM

I came to the health club to get my body into shape, but God had plans far beyond what I could think or imagine.

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Woman looking straight on at camera, left hand by her chin, with a slight smile.

I AM WOMAN, PART 1

  I am now incredibly different from what I used to be.  Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the way I am now is the genuine me, as opposed to the false me I was living before. 

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woman walking with dog on a forest path

I LOVE TO WALK

To be a picture of health requires a happy frame of mind. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 For most

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IN PRAISE OF NURSES

Over the week that I was hospitalized, I observed these nurses as they cared for me, and I was amazed at the scope of their work and how they carried it out. 

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SLIPPERY THOUGHTS, PART 2

I was terrified that people would reject me if they knew how terrible I was.  So, I developed a mask of cheerfulness and pleasantness to hide what I thought was the real me.

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Fall scene

GOD’S FOUR SEASONS

I know many people prefer living in an area that’s warm year-round.  Still, I’m one of those people who enjoys experiencing all four seasons in their time. 

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AFTER THE SCAM

My first reaction to the incident was grief over losing our money.  But immediately following the grief came an enormous amount of guilt and shame. 

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FORGIVE AND FORGET

The deeper the hurt, the harder it is to forgive.  But forgive, we must.  And then we must forget.  Which is harder?  That’s a question for the ages, isn’t it?

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Praying and waiting

CAN YOU WAIT?

I’ve heard people say that “wait” is a four-letter word. Waiting is one of the hardest things there is to do.

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STUCK IN A “FOGS”

You may have heard of “FOMO,” a Fear of Missing Out.  It’s a recent phenomenon brought on by an abundance of access to social media.  You can recognize “FOMO” when

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Hi, I'm Jean!

I love writing about what Jesus has done in my life to help encourage others.  I live in the Chicagoland area with my husband, Hal.  We’ve been married for over 50 years.  We have two married sons, five grandchildren, and a little dog named Charlie. I also own a virtual assistant business called Jean’s Virtual Administrative Solutions.