The Dash
It’s there on the headstones, barely noticeable. A birth date; a death date. And a little mark in between. The dash – so simple, so seemingly insignificant. Yet it represents a life. It represents relationships. It represents values and words and actions that left a mark on the world. Last week I attended a memorial…
Read MoreCh 4: Code Four Communication: Unforgiveness kills communication
Unforgiveness vs. Keeping Short Account When our unspoken expectations are not met, it is very easy to develop resentment. We take it personally. It’s an affront! But that really isn’t fair, is it? How can our husbands know they did something wrong if they don’t know the rules? Years ago when Brent was working swing…
Read MoreCh 4: Code Four Communication: It takes time
Go Easy; It Takes Time I once heard a couple who had been married for over forty years say, “We didn’t really get each other until we’d gotten the first twenty years out of the way.” Now that Brent and I have been married over twenty-three years, I understand what they were talking about. Entwining…
Read MoreCh 4: Code Four Communication – The Man-Woman Thing
The Man-Woman Thing I like to joke that when God took a rib from Adam to make Eve, He took a whole lot more than just a bone. He also took the multitasking gene, the tendency to nurture, and the ability to ask for directions! But seriously, not only do we deal with our differences…
Read MoreCh 4: Code Four Communication: Getting outside yourself
They say marriages are made in heaven. But so are thunder and lightning. Clint Eastwood Words of comfort, skillfully administered, are the oldest therapy known to man. Louis Nizer A sleek, black Lexus caught my eye in the next lane. Wow. It was shiny and new, and the sun hit it just right. It’s…
Read MoreCh 3: Creating Your Own Normal – Sometimes You Just Have to be Brave
Sometimes You Just Have To Be Brave The laughter was deafening. Emily found herself laughing along; although because she didn’t really know these people, she felt a touch uncomfortable. Clara had just opened her white-elephant gift: a set of five condoms. It was definitely appropriate for the crowd. They were all recently married, and everyone’s…
Read MoreFEARLESS 2013
Chief and I were on Interstate 5 somewhere in central California when he asked me a question. It was one of those moments. Like when you see smoke rising from a discharged revolver. Or taser darts that grabbed high and low – a perfect hit. Or the boot print on my assets. It was a…
Read MoreSPEAK 2012
My, how 2012 has unfolded. At this time last year I had a book in hand and a trip overseas planned. I had a dream – but would not have guessed the places I was to go, and the people I would meet. It’s been a wild ride, but one that I cherish and that…
Read MoreChristmas Thoughts for the Hurting
Christmas Thoughts for the Hurting Last year Christmas was very difficult for our family. In the midst of the culmination of a dream – the release of my first published book – our family experienced a very painful season. In light of so many life-altering events that we hear about and experience every day, I…
Read MoreHow 2 Love Your Cop: Creating Your Own Normal, While Married to a Cop
Balancing Home Life and Career(s) Jenny and Tim had been married double-digit years when they had their first child. Before this time she was a dispatcher and he an officer. They worked out their shifts together, and it was relatively easy, considering it was just the two of them. But when their daughter came, things…
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