We are not rowing in our boats, alone. In fact, there are more people who will fit into our boats than we often allow. Believe it or not, the boats are easier to row with another person in it with us.

Several years ago, Terry took me to one of the springs in Florida. He rented a canoe for the two of us to go exploring. Was this romantic? Absolutely. Was this practical? Not for a girl who grew up in Tennessee, not on the water.

First of all, I want to point out that I consider myself to be pretty athletic. I run, I lift weights, I do yoga, dancing, you name it. Knowing how to gracefully paddle on the water? Yeah, that’s not exactly in my wheelhouse.

Once Terry realized the way I was paddling

One of my most intimidating Political Science professors was also an attorney. His exams were brutal. I used to think he hated us, but as time went on, I realized how he was shaping our minds. He was drilling information into our heads so we would never forget it. “Facts don’t lie,” he used to tell us. Nearly every single day he would tell us, “Facts don’t lie. People lie, but facts don’t lie. Remember that.”

I wrote it in a Sharpie on the outside of my notebook for his class. It was a mantra, so to speak, and he meant for us to remember it.

Fast forward to 2002, the very first Federal campaign on which I ever worked. My mentor was the Treasurer for the campaign and she told me the first time we spoke, “I’ll give you two pieces of advice. The first is this: checks don’t lie. If your math is wrong, then it’s your math. Your math would be wrong, not the checks. Checks don’t lie. The second piece of advice? Don’t mess up. Everything you do reflects Katherine. (Katherine Harris was the candidate; then Secretary of State for Florida, who was running for Congress).

This was advice we had to live by and consider our every move, our every word, our every email, our every conversation; what we said and did was a reflection of Katherine and her Congressional campaign. For every campaign after this, I held tightly to those words from my mentor, “Checks don’t lie, and don’t mess up.”

I have to tell you, the same feels very true even now. We are representing

Someone I really respect and admire said that when they heard someone being really nasty and hateful, then said a minute or two later they were praying to Jesus about something, he said excitedly, “Oh wow! You know Jesus? Cool! I wasn’t so sure the way you were just talking, that you were a Believer!”

When I heard him say this, I thought, oh my goodness. I want to remember this. I want to respond to people exactly like this, the next time they are being hateful/nasty and then talk about Jesus.

Last year, Terry and I were with a group of people and one of them went out of her way to be hateful to me. Ugly comments here and there, and she seemed to truly thrive on being cruel to me. I let it slide. I did not want to cause a scene for the people we were all gathered for, and just prayed people would eventually see this person for what they are, and not have to stoop to their level. I kept reminding myself, “Never argue with a fool. Onlookers might not be able to tell the difference.” - Mark Twain.

But this person continued with the snide comments. In the next breath, the person said they visited a local chapel and sat there for a while and prayed.

I was stunned. I wanted to say, “You prayed? Like to God? Or Satan? Because you’re pretty mean … I can’t fathom

My emotions are all over the map. Growing up in the South, there were a lot of “unwritten” rules about how to behave properly with regards to topics of conversation; especially at a dinner party. You don’t bring up politics or religion (specifically denominations). You never ask someone how much money they make or what they paid for their home, car, etc. You should never ask a woman her age or her weight, and you *never* ask a woman when she is due, because she might just be overweight, not pregnant. You don’t bring up race because people might think you are a racist. You do not discuss sex or football, either. God forbid someone at your dinner party might be an Alabama fan.

Well, this is all about to change with me. Y’all pull up a seat because I’m “fixing” to break a whole lot of Southern etiquette rules.

First of all, I am not religious. I dislike the term so much it makes my stomach hurt. I am

I am about to share some pretty cheesy tidbits about myself with y'all, so do with this information, what you will. Here goes.

I have multiple playlists that I like to listen to, for different reasons and times. If I am in a deep, concentrated, focused writing mood, I tend to play my classical music playlist. Bob Goff says when we (writers) are writing, we should wear a writing cap/hat. But I wear a hat a lot when I’m working out or throw my hair up, and I don’t have a “special enough” hat to wear a writer’s cap/hat, so Terry knows if I’m playing classical music, I’m super focused and need to stay that way.

I have a “favorites” playlist that has about 320 songs from various genres, so I will play that when I’m cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, etc. Or if I just want to get a big eye roll from Terry.

I have a “love songs” playlist that’s more of a “chill” type of playlist, and I play it at night when Terry and I are playing cards. One of my favorite songs that is on multiple playlists of mine, is “Lover” by Taylor Swift. As soon as I heard the first line, I was hooked. “We could leave the Christmas lights up ‘til January. This is our place, we make the rules. And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear. Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?”

Okay. I know. I’m super cheesy and a sucker for romance.

Terry and I were talking to a friend recently and she commented how difficult it had been on her to be around someone who has been so cruel to her, in the past. Our friend tried to extend an olive branch, so to speak, about five or six years ago, to this person who has been so unkind to her. A couple of weeks ago, our friend, in the midst of this pandemic, had to be around these very people again; one being the woman who had been so nasty to our friend, in the past.

Our friend was telling us that this last time she was around the person, things were a little better, but she remains guarded because of how nasty this person has been to her, in the past. We told her we understood, completely, and that she should guard her heart. (Proverbs 4:23) I asked her, “But maybe this is a step toward healing? It is what we have been praying for with you, and maybe God allowed all of this to take place for relationships to be mended?”

Terry and I were sitting in the truck talking to our friend on speaker when it went silent. “Are you still there?” Terry asked her.

“I’m here,” she said, softly. “I just don’t like how all of this has been, and it’s hard always being the one who reaches out.” Terry said

I miss our old kickboxing class. My sister-friend Lindsey and I used to meet each other early in the morning to take kickboxing. Our instructor April was fierce. She was also fabulous. I not only learned how to defend and protect myself, but it made me feel incredibly strong. I loved the *pop* sound when you punched the paddles in the right spot. It was also an extremely therapeutic way to get out any built up anger.

I tend to bottle up my emotions. We have received a lot of unpleasant news in the past few months, and although I take it directly to Papa in prayer … I realize I have a lot of emotions running all over the place in my heart and mind. As we climbed into bed the other night, I told Terry, “I want to order some kickboxing paddles. Would you hold them for me?” He said, “Absolutely. Let’s get some good gloves for you to protect your hands, too.”

My old counselor, Bob once told me, “You have to feel to heal.” But quite frankly, sometimes

Michala has grown into a young lady I look up to and admire. She is bold and she is a leader.

There are so many areas in my precious child’s life where I messed up. But watching her exercise truth is just another area where Michala excels. I am so proud of Michala and her friends for speaking up for injustices and I watch her and gain my own, personal strength.

They are speaking up for black lives. They are speaking out against people in power who have engaged in sexual assault(s).

I am so proud of these young ladies for being disgusted by sexually vile and inappropriate behavior which only empowers them to speak out against it. I am so proud of the way they respectfully demand change and stand up for one another and those who

For some reason, I have been having really weird dreams, lately.

One night last week, I dreamed Terry and I were in Italy, and found a “cheeseria.” It was located in a small village, known for their cheeses, so I could not wait to visit. When we walked inside this cheeseria, we were handed a glass of wine, a piece of paper that was like a scorecard and pen, and told to sample the cheeses and check which ones we liked, most. Terry’s scorecard had about four checks on it, where mine had about 30. We decided these cheeses were the best cheese either of us had ever tasted, and we bought so much to bring back, we had to buy new suitcases that were also sold there at the “cheeseria” because they do not do online orders and they do not ship.

We took our suitcases full of cheese to a FedEx facility who sold us blocks of ice and shipped it back to the States for us. But in my dream, one of the suitcases held the favorite cheeses Terry and I sampled, so I asked at the FedEx place, “Maybe I should keep that one with me, and it can be my carry-on bag so I can keep an eye on it.”

Y’all. This is how I dream, but it is also how I think. “Maybe I should just hold on to this, instead of giving up control of it, trusting God to handle it.”

While I very much wish that dream

Terry and I planted a tree, recently. It was pretty big. Not like a big, established magnolia tree or anything; this is a lemon tree. But it is still big and heavy. Once we got the hole dug and ready for the tree, it took the both of us to lift it down into the center of the hole, and I had to hold it up in place for Terry to get the soil and dirt positioned around it.

I had no idea there were so many thorns on a lemon tree. My shoulder looked like I got into a fight with a cat, and the cat won.

Once the tree was firmly planted, though, we knew it was going to take root and grow. Already there are little buds growing on our tree, and one day we will have fresh lemons to squeeze and make lemonade! (Corny, I know, but I will).

The tree was dying right after we brought it home. It was super hot, we had to get it out of the grow pot it was in from the nursery, and get it into the soil. Terry (the one of the two of us who manages to keep plants and trees alive, as opposed to the other one of us who seems to kill all things, living) nursed this tree and really brought it back.

The tree taking to the soil and the watering job Terry does, will produce fruit. Jesus told us His Father is the keeper of the vineyard, and God

Our pastor says something rather frequently, intended to stick with us, which is, “Do the next right thing.” Terry and I wear bracelets/wristbands that say this very saying.

Do the next right thing.

When you are stuck and do not know what to do, do the next right thing. When you have a big, important decision to make, do the next right thing. When you are presented with an opportunity, do the next right thing.

Little by little, one by one, our actions and decisions (and words spoken) will turn into doing the next right thing, when we live by this motto. Doing the next right thing has nothing to do with “religion” and everything to do with Jesus.

In fact, doing what is considered to be “religious” is not always the right thing. I do not like “religious” as a description for me. Tell people I love Jesus, yes. But please

I love Proverbs. Sometimes when I read it, though, it is hard to believe how very long ago scripture was written. Because, wow. It is so applicable today.

“The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” - Proverbs 11:1-3 (NIV)

One of the things I love the most about my Terry is his humility. Sure, he is silly and jokes with us about how handsome he is, or when I say I love him so much he might reply, “I know you do. How could you not?” But he is teasing in those moments. He does most everything with a quiet humility, never seeking fanfare or attention. (Although I am his biggest fan!)

When I look at Terry, Michala and my closest friends, they are all humble. And with their humility comes wisdom. The integrity of each of these people in my mind is what guides their path, and is the reason I turn to them for wise counsel.

When I look at the world around us, I see how the

When I was in college, I had a wonderful doctor who was on campus. He genuinely cared about his patients and listened, intently to anything I ever said, as well as asked questions, looking for things I wasn’t saying. Looking back I can see how much he must have invested in the lives of students who were struggling, or depressed by looking for the things they weren’t saying. Anyway, I hated losing this doctor after college, because he only treated students.

He offered some “unsolicited advice” to me that I carry with me, to this day. He said, “Don’t ever choose a doctor who is obese or smokes. If they don’t take care of themselves and their health by setting a good example for their patients, how can you trust them to take care of you and your health?”

I took his advice to heart

I shared this a while back, but my sister-friend Jessica shared something really powerful with me, and it has given me tremendous peace. She told me when she’s facing something difficult or painful, she visualizes handing that problem to Jesus. She said she closes her eyes and pictures whatever she is wearing at the time, whatever she saw and smelled before closing her eyes; she puts herself right there in the moment, but pictures herself at the feet of Jesus, physically handing over the problem/burden and releasing it to Him.

When Jessica shared this with me, I immediately closed my eyes and pictured myself handing over the heavy burden I was carrying, and placing it at the feet of Jesus.

You see, when we

Picture it. The narrator reads, “Meanwhile over at the Little House on the Prairie, Terry and Aimee found themselves without internet and the cable went out, so they spent some sweet, quality time together. It was nice, actually, being disassociated with the news for a couple of days so they played cards, laughed and just really enjoyed their time together.”

Then, Tuesday evening, the internet returned, briefly. So I hopped on Twitter to see what all we had missed.

Lord have mercy. I think the Hatfields and the McCoys got along better than people are, today.

I was stunned to see the video of the man screaming at someone in

Terry and I have a metal roof. This causes interference with our cell coverage. When we have any kind of rain or wind, we lose our internet connection. Some days, I feel like we are living during the Hatfield and McCoy times; like pioneers. We laugh when people tell us to watch something on Netflix, because we cannot keep consistent internet long enough to stream a show. I kid you not. I try to write my devotions in advance, and then when I cannot post them due to no internet connection, I have them ready for when we go somewhere with internet, or for when we have a few minutes of connection.

Anytime I find myself complaining about how slow (or non-existent) our internet is, I imagine God hears me whining and rolls His eyes at me. There are serious issues in the world worthy of my lamenting, and lack of internet is not one of them. I should be crying out to Him over the very real and heartbreaking problems you and I read about, every single day.

I have had such a heavy heart for how much discord there is in our country today. The left is fighting to one extreme and the right is fighting to the other extreme, and there seems to

Nothing thrills my heart more than knowing Michala’s relationship with Jesus is secure. I prayed for so many years for her future friends and for her college environment. I prayed she would have friends who were like minded, and would be as thoughtful and loving to Michala, as she is to everyone else. “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or even imagine.” - Ephesians 3:20.

I get so excited when Michala tells me about doing a bible study with one of her roommates. Or how all of them are watching their church online (during the pandemic). They are all involved in one way or another, in serving. My heart explodes seeing the answered prayers from so many years of me asking God to provide love and friends for Michala, and He did so … and then some. Immeasurably more than all we ask or even imagine, you might say.

We recently got to visit with Michala, and I cannot tell you

Sometimes I write longer devotions than others. Today is one of those longer ones. My mentor in politics told me when I “retired” at age 31, “You can take the girl out of politics, but you’ll never take the politics out of the girl.” She was so right. As much as it turns my stomach most days, the politics in this girl has yet to be removed.

Beth Moore said something recently that deeply broke my heart. It broke my heart because I agree. She said, “American Evangelicalism needs to file a missing person’s report. We have lost Jesus.”

Wow. I was frantically nodding my head in agreement when I read those words. We are so fortunate as Americans, to live in a country where we can worship, freely. America provides so many liberties other countries do not have, and I pray we never take

I was reading Mark the other morning, and something struck me as though it were the first time I have ever read it. Please tell me this happens to you, too. You have read something in scripture hundreds of times, then one day, Bam! It just suddenly makes more sense? I hope I am not the only one who seems to take decades for the ability to grasp and learn something.

So I was reading Mark 2, and I love this story. I love the story of the paralytic man being lowered through the roof by his friends to get to Jesus. Our pastor spoke on this a couple of years ago, and I remember him asking us, “Can you imagine what the homeowners must have thought? Having a hole cut through their roof?” I don’t know if they were okay with it … if maybe the friends helped patch it up that same day?

But this is not the point I wanted to make. Sometimes I’m like the dogs in the movie, Up! “Squirrel!”

Here’s what struck me. “When Jesus saw t

Aside from Jesus giving us a command to live by, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Loving one another is not always easy. Sometimes, it’s downright next to impossible to even like someone; much less love them.

When I was working on President Bush’s re-election campaign in 2004, we had an event outside. It was on the property of someone’s business, and he owned the building and parking lot. Protesters were allowed on the sidewalk; just not on his property or parking lot. As they came closer to where we gathered, I had to walk down and ask them to please stay off the gentleman’s property, per his request. I even told them, “We understand your right to protest the President, and just ask that you stay on the public property, not the private property.”

I had no desire to call the police on these protesters. They were just holding signs and yelling. They weren’t doing anything “illegal.” The First Amendment allowed them