Find the YES!

I’ve been reading the New Testament chronologically. I’ve read the New Testament many times but never chronologically. The stories and teachings are more than familiar. Still, I hold fast to the truth of Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” I believe that a person’s soul and intents of the heart can and will be changed if they read the Scriptures, even in the absence of […]

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Do You Treat Your Marriage Like Your Business?

My husband and I grew up in homes where the order of life was spoken and lived out; God first, family second and work third. Biblically speaking, we would say God first, marriage second, children third and work fourth. We tell married couples that the best gift you can give your child is a good marriage. Academia from the family studies research world will say to you and share statistic after statistic that children, communities and individuals are happier, healthier and wealthier if they’re happily married. It’s one of those things we know intuitively. Happy marriages are a good thing! […]

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Fingerprints Versus Soul Prints

Our fingerprints leave impressions made by the minute ridge formations or patterns found on the finger. To date, no two people have been found to have the same arrangement of patterns, even twins. Even as we shed skin, the ridge formations are identical and remain unchanged throughout our life. Investigations have relied heavily on the thumbprint for someone’s identity, but with advanced technology, we can learn much more about someone than just a matched print. Mass Spectrometry is able to not only provide an image but it can also identify the weight of molecules and whose molecules they are. The […]

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How Old Are You Emotionally?

(Scroll down to leave a comment on your emotional age you identify with.) When we mention the phrase “Arrested Development,” most people think of the sitcom with that title. It’s the story of the formerly wealthy Bluth family and their dysfunction. The series received critical acclaim, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. It has been named one of the greatest TV shows by publications, including Time and Entertainment Weekly. I’ve not watched the program, but my guess is it was widely viewed because we all relate to it at some level. Every family has some dysfunction, and […]

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The Challenges of Physical Intimacy In Marriage

Over the years of working in the relationship education arena, I’ve found that most of our challenges are relatively common in that many of us struggle with the same issues. Satan deceives us into believing we’re the only ones struggling with the particular problem, and then we isolate ourselves because we’re either too embarrassed or ashamed to reach for help.  To remove the stigma of asking the questions that make us uncomfortable and vulnerable, we decided to host an online “After Hours” Q & A with our LivetheLifeSoFlo Instagram account. We go live every Wednesday at 9:00 pm. During the […]

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Assumptions-What You Said Is Not What I Heard; What You Did Was Not What I Saw

We process most communication based on what we know about the person communicating. We make positive or negative assumptions based on our personal experience with them or on the credibility of their reputation or the person or organization who made the introduction. If our experience has been negative, we will filter the person’s message through a negative lens. We’ll assume the worst. If our experience has been positive, we will assume the best even when the words don’t match. I have a friend who regularly says things that, although well-intended, come across as judgmental. Many times I’ve said, “They didn’t […]

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The Pace of Grace

Each season (winter, spring, summer, fall) has a brief window that we look forward to. It’s appreciated, and then at some point we arrive at a place that we are thankful for the next season to come along. For me it’s summer leading into fall. There is something about those dog days of summer that can seem grueling here in the tropics. But when the first whiff of cool air comes or the humidity drops as you exit your house that first morning of fall, you sense a change of seasons. Oh, how good it is! Whatever your preference, the […]

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What Are You Afraid Of?

When someone asks me what I’m afraid of, the song “Spiders and Snakes” by Jim Stafford always comes to mind. I can hear the tune and sing the lyrics of a boy walking a girl home named Mary Lou. They stop at a water hole, and as typical of a young boy, he picks up a frog and shakes it at her. She responds with “I don’t like spiders and snakes and that ain’t what it takes to love me. I wanna be loved by you.” Everyone has a fear of something. I’m afraid of spiders, snakes and heights. As […]

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The Power of Questions

Most of us don’t ask enough questions of our loved ones. The reasons are many; for some, it’s awkward, you don’t want to stir up any issues, and it keeps us in the safe harbor of see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. We’ve embraced the political statement, “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”  Some people are apathetic and don’t care enough to ask questions. Others are selfish and never think to ask others questions, and they only talk about themselves. Some are fearful that they’ll be perceived as rude. Social media has also influenced our lack of questioning. […]

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Ready or Not Here I Come

(Ready or not, leave a comment down below if you have ever played hide and seek with God) Remember, as a child, playing hide-and-seek? Running and hiding as fast as you can from whoever was “it.” Then, preparing to be discovered with anticipation? It’s an exciting game, but playing hide and seek as an adult is not nearly as satisfying.   As an adult, hide and seek sounds like this “I can no longer do that because of my pain.” “I used to do that, but because of ________, I just can’t do it anymore.” “I guess I’m going to […]

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