As the calendar turns toward November, my heart starts to notice all the little reminders to “be thankful.” It’s on coffee mugs, throw pillows, and social media posts. Gratitude is everywhere. Yet sometimes, if we’re honest, our hearts feel anything but thankful. Especially when life feels heavy. Although we might doubt, God’s word is true! It’s easy to connect gratitude with material blessings: our homes, our families, our jobs, our health. While those are gifts from God, they aren’t the…

As a young girl I was asked to do a lot. I was the oldest. My brother was only two years younger than me, but then my sisters were 7 and 9 years younger than me. By the time I was 12-13 my mom had gone back to work part time and my dad had started a new job that was incredibly stressful.  Over time, I became relied upon by my parents to do it all. I was asked to…