Margaret McSweeney's Blog, page 51

The Most Expensive Christmas Tree Ever

The $500 Christmas tree. (I’m sure you can tell!)

Three years ago, our annual Christmas tree-finding tradition changed forever. In early December, Randy and I always went in search of the perfect tree. We bundled up in our warmest clothes, filled a thermos with hot chocolate, packed ourselves and dogs into the car, and headed for the mountains. We’d never had any problems—and didn’t anticipate any this time.

We drove several miles up a snowy, forest service road in our 4-wheel drive SUV. The snow didn’t seem deep, and we followed tracks on the road from other vehicles. Randy commented that there wasn’t any place to turn around, but I didn’t see any reason for concern. Then we were stuck. We couldn’t move forward or backwards. Randy tried all the usual tricks—rocking the car back and forth, gunning it, using pine branches under the tires for traction, and digging snow from around the tires. Nothing worked. (Except we managed to cut a tree—a gangly “Charlie Brown” type that we found on the side of the road. We were determined not to go home empty-handed!)

The sun slipped quickly behind the mountains and it was pitch dark and cold, with temps plummeting into single-digits. O.K., we need Plan B, we told ourselves. The thought of spending the night in our car with our dogs, Kramer and Kosmo, wasn’t appealing. Fortunately, Randy was able to get cell coverage long enough to call a friend.

Two hours later, headlights from the approaching tow truck illuminated the darkness. Only problem was they couldn’t get our car unstuck, so the car and illustrious tree stayed on the mountain until the next day. Good news: we got home safely to our cozy, warm home on a sub-zero night after being stuck for nearly six hours. Bad news: this was the most expensive tree ever! The $5 permit for our hand-cut tree eventually racked up a bill of $500 after all was said and done. Ouch! Randy decided instead of topping the tree with an angel or star, we would use a price tag instead. Lesson learned: next year we would buy our tree at Hank’s tree lot in town.

Our son Jeremy decorating the “tree lot” tree the following year.

After Christmas, we took down the homely $500 tree and “planted” it in the snow in our back yard. I saw it from our kitchen window for the duration of winter—and when I was tempted to cringe at our foolishness, I was reminded of God’s grace and mercy to us, in spite of our many mistakes and shortcomings. That we could even smile and laugh about our latest misadventure was proof that God is at work in each of us. And isn’t that really what Christmas is about?

May the Lord bless your Christmas season with peace, love, and laughter!

Put Your Foot Down

I’m not so sure it was wise for our church to hire a pastor who is married to a strong-willed child.

The pastor’s wife role comes with a lot of expectations, in some churches more than others, but I refuse to meet expectations. Let someone tell me, Well, you should go to this because you’re the pastor’s wife, and she’ll find me all arms crossed and feet planted. No way am I going to do stuff just because I’m the pastor’s wife. (Well, sometimes I do things out of a sense of duty. I’m not that belligerent. But it’s a rare event.)

One time a leader at church was lamenting to me how hard it is to get volunteers in church who will work hard and stick with a ministry for the long haul. I told him I work hard and have stuck with it. He said, Well, you’re a pastor’s wife. You have to do that stuff.

Oh no he didn’t!

Here’s how it is, sisters. I serve because I love Jesus. Nothing makes me happier than rolling up my sleeves and putting in serious labor for the kingdom of God. It’s in that service where I have found my deepest satisfaction and joy –not because someone has expected me to serve, but because I have desired to lay my life down and follow the Savior.

The trick to managing a strong-willed child is to make sure what you want her to do is her idea. Then she’s all in.

So if your hackles raise at the “you should because you’re a pastor’s wife”, then I say flip it. You know, like that nasty, old house someone buys cheap as an investment, and then he renovates it and make it fresh and new. Same house –different look. If we, as pastor’s wives, can gut out the “you should do this” and bring in the “I want to do this”, it changes our role to one of joy instead of burden.

Then we are setting the example for the whole house –where people are free to work in the area where God shaped them to work and where they desire to work, instead of forcing them to labor out of guilt and duty. That kind of church has curb appeal.

We set the pace for the whole house. Maybe a little stubborn, strong will isn’t all bad.

You Need to Slide Under a Wing

Bekah (right) and Debby. Two young women who pour their lives out to mentor younger women.

I would say to my daughter, You look beautiful or You sang great at church tonight. She would make a disgusted face and say, You have to say that because you’re my mom.

I was so thankful when two of my daughter’s youth group leaders at church took Jayme under their wings. Bekah would invite Jayme over to her house to play games and make Sushi. She would say the same things to Jayme that I was saying, but somehow it meant more. Debby would come over and sit on the couch –just to chat with Jayme and encourage her.

I think sometimes we need to hear truth from our parents and from someone else.

Have you thought about asking God to help you find a woman like Bekah or Debby? Someone who will take you under her wing and build on the good things your parents are telling you. Look for these qualities in finding a woman to encourage you:

• She should be an older woman, not someone your own age. You need someone who is wise from living longer than you have.

• She should love God and speaks God’s truth from the Bible.

• She should be kind and build you up, not tear you down.

• She should be honest and sometimes be willing to say the hard things you need to hear.

• She should have character you admire and be the kind of person you hope to be some day.

• She should pray for you.

• She should encourage you to honor your parents.

Paul tells the older women, in Titus 2:3-5, to “train the younger women”. Even Paul thought it was a great idea for younger women to look to the older women to train them in life.

Do you know a godly older woman you can talk to about stuff in your life? Maybe a youth leader or a grandma? I bet she would honored if you would ask her to take you under her wing.

Not So Sweet—Where have all the Twinkies gone?

Death is never a pretty thing, especially if it’s the death of a Hostess Twinkie.

It’s a sad day as we bid farewell to the iconic snack many of us grew up on. But alas life goes on.

The closing of Hostess means 18,000 people will lose their jobs, and loss is always a bitter pill to swallow, coming in both concrete and abstract forms. Concrete losses are easy to identify: death, divorce, job loss, but abstract losses are often more difficult to identify and put words to.

What does all this have to do with Twinkies and Ding Dongs? Everything. The loss of the Twinkie reminds us that everything we love will someday slip through our fingers. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and as news reports on the closing of the Hostess brand flooded the media it’s evident that people are serious about their love for the Twinkie.

For me, no more Hostess products represent the loss of an era. I have fond memories of traveling to the Wonder Bread store with my dad loading up on the tasty treats. The white powdered donuts were a favorite for my kids at grandma’s house.

You may not be grieving the loss of the Twinkie, but you may be grieving the loss of something else: shattered dreams, unmet expectations, loss of trust, hope, a role loss. If so, here are a few suggestions to navigate through the sadness:

Notice what’s happening to your heart

You can’t change what you don’t notice, and noticing begins by slowing down and paying attention to what’s going on in your heart. Are you sad, angry, hurt or depressed? If so, what is the source and origin of your pain?

Identify your loss

As previously noted, concrete losses are easy to identify, but abstract losses can be less visible, buried beneath the conscious surface. Bring them into your awareness by making a list of all the relational and abstract losses you have incurred. Use the aforementioned list as a starting point.

Put words to your feelings

Now that you’ve identified your losses, put feeling words to them. This will help access your emotional responses to your losses and help with the grief process.

Let go of what you can’t change

Many of us have a tendency to live in the past with “if only” thinking. We can’t change the past, so we must repent, make amends where we can and move on. Beating ourselves up for things we can’t change is unproductive.

Realize you are in a battle for your heart

Loss puts you front and center into a battlefield—your heart is what’s up for grabs so you’ll want to prepare by choosing the right armor. Scripture tells us what to do in Ephesians 6:11.

Think bigger picture

To recover from the losses of life you have to think bigger picture. Find your passion. Get excited and step out and try something new.

It’s over for Twinkies, but it’s never too late to begin your grief journey, even if you’ve buried your losses for years. Start today by paying attention to your heart.

Back at you: How have you dealt with the losses of life?

Who Gives?

As a medical transcriptionist, I once found myself listening to an ER doctor dictate the story of a decapitation. I was horrified to listen to the details of the accident, in which a young girl lost her head. Even more disturbing was to hear of the others, who had seen it happen, coming into the ER.

So when I read about Jesus receiving news of the beheading of his cousin, I had a visceral reaction that made me sick to my stomach.

(Have patience until I can explain what this has to do with your marriage.)

Jesus made an attempt to withdraw to a quiet place to try to absorb the news. Can you imagine the traumatic images going through his mind, as he thought of John’s death? How long would a person need to retreat from life in order to recover from such a family tragedy?

But then came the crowds –sick and desperate for relief from pain and suffering. Jesus was their last hope for healing.

So, we see that Jesus needed to recover from breath-stealing grief, and the crowd clamored for healing. These two needs collided in the same hour, and I imagine Jesus paused long, with shoulders sagging –staring at the crowd. Gauging the needs of the people in front of him while feeling the pull of a quiet place to process His deep loss. Few have ever deserved a sheltered place to process trauma more than Jesus did on that day.

It was a crisis.

If Jesus were to turn toward the crowd, he would be forced to put on the shelf his own broiling emotions. If the crowd were turned away, they would be forced to put on the shelf their hope. Like the law of physics, which says two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time, it was physically impossible for the needs of all to be fulfilled simultaneously in that moment in time.

This is what happened: “When Jesus saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:14 NIV)

I wonder what work had to be done in Jesus’ mind and soul, in order for him to put down his own feelings and pick up the needs of the people? In a great show of love and sacrifice, Jesus laid down the needs of His own life on that day.

This is what marriage is like almost every day.

Just like Jesus had a legitimate, understandable need in his life, wives have legitimate, understandable needs in their lives. Just like the crowd had legitimate, understandable needs, husbands have legitimate, understandable needs. The problem is there seldom room for both needs to be met at the same time.

So who gives?

The wife could say, But my need is really important.

The husband could say, But my need is really important.

A loving life who desires to show respect to her husband must be willing to regularly (not always, but regularly) lay down her own need to serve the need of her husband.

It requires a great internal work to deny the gaping need of one’s own soul out of love for one’s husband.

It seems like we’ll lose much if we give up our own need, but the surprise is that there is reward. The sacrifice produces a depth of love in the marriage that eventually pays back to each person more than it cost. The practice of self-denial is the stuff great marriages are made of.

Are You in a Holi-Daze?

Christmas is a busy time of year for most of us. If we don’t pull back and take a breath once in awhile we’re likely to become overwhelmed. One year when I felt the crush and rush of the season, I turned to Scripture. I wanted to find out what God had to say about rest.

REST from burdens.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28 NIV)

What better time to respond to this invitation than during the Christmas season. Merchants don’t want you to rest. They want you to buy their goods and services. Bankers don’t want you to rest. They want to loan you money so they can charge you interest. Friends don’t offer to give you rest. They want you to come to their party or dinner or serve on a committee at church or at work. And your children and spouse? Well, they may sympathize that this season is demanding, but do they want you to rest? Not really. If you do, who’ll prepare the meals and shop for gifts, organize the family get-together, and pay for it all when the bills arrive?

Only the Lord wants you to rest. Only he wants you to come away with him when you are weary and heavy-laden. When you hear his call, put down whatever you’re doing. It’ll be there when you return.

REST from work.

“Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the ploughing season and harvest you must rest” (Ex. 34:21 NIV).

Set aside some vacation days for this season of the year. Too many of us try to work normal hours and shop and cook and decorate and entertain. Then we wonder why we come down with a cold or the flu or a bout of depression. We need to rest. We deserve to rest. We require rest.

For some of us that means turning off the computer, turning on the message machine, saying no to an invitation, saying yes to the desire to take a nap, simplifying the way we do our jobs–taking on less and giving away more.

REST from people.

“‘Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31 NIV).

Like Jesus, you may feel the press of the crowd and need to retreat for a few hours. There are times when we absolutely must be alone–away from the noise, the bustle, the anxiety that seems to run through the masses. Jesus experienced it often. And at such times he went off alone or with a small band of friends, to pray, to listen to his heavenly father, to rest. How much our lives would change for the better if we, too, did what our heavenly father tells us to do. Rest from people.

Let’s enjoy the beautiful days ahead—but also sneak off from time to time for a rest with the Lord—whose birth we celebrate. Merry Christmas!

12 Pearls of Christmas | Day 12 – Does it Even Matter? by Tracey Eyster

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series !

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog. The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Does It Even Matter?

By Tracey Eyster

Every day, day after day, for twenty years I have been immersed in the task of mothering. No one told me before I was handed that swaddled bundle how all-consuming the role of motherhood was going to be, or how my heart would be forever altered.

My heart is swollen from the love that has grown there. A deep love that’s swelling has come at a cost.

The cost of daily dying to self as I choose to serve the needs of my children and my husband—to grow a family with the end in mind.

Thankfully I was taught by those older and wiser than me that the building of image bearing children requires intentionality and purpose by two loving, connected parents who are willing to work together for God’s purposes.

Even when we don’t know the outcome or exact purpose God has in mind for our children—our willingness to put in the hours and to be yielded to His direction is our gift to the Father.

This Christmas I have had a new and odd wondering that I have been contemplating, a question that has never before occurred to me.

Who built the manger?

Did he think the task was too menial?

Was he weary and tired from the task?

Did he want to build something more grand?

Did he dream of working in a way that would bring him glory and attention?

Did he wrestle with the assumption that what he was putting his time and effort into was not for a grand purpose?

How could he know the plans God had for that little manger?

The Savior of the world was going to rest there and do great things.

Psst . . . Mom, do you see it?

The Savior of the world has the potential to rest within that which you are building . . . to do great things.

Take care to put your time, talents, and energy into building well.

***

Tracey Eyster is the happily-in-love wife of Bill and the fun-filled mom of two teens, and she is devoted to her family and is happiest when making memories with them. In 2008 she took her passion for speaking into the lives of moms and created the ministry of MomLife Today. She is passionate about momlife and is amazed at God’s blessing of allowing her first book Be The Mom to come to fruition. She enjoys connecting with moms through her personal blog at www.bethemom.com, and on Facebook or Twitter @MomBlog

Tissue and Bubble-Wrapped Memories

As soon as the remnants of Thanksgiving dinner are packed away in Tupperware containers, my mind turns to Christmas. Traditionally on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Scott, our two boys, and I visit the local tree lot to choose the perfect Christmas tree. Scott trims the lower branches, fits the trunk into the stand, and with a little help hauls the tree into the house.

Then the fun begins. After twenty-three years of marriage, there are a lot of ornaments. Each speak of a bygone time, when Scott and I were first married, when each child joined our family, memories of happy and difficult times. Like the tiny, red apple with “Scott loves Becky” printed across it. A fond memory of when my dear husband helped me write the names of all my students, two kindergarten classes, on apples as gifts. Then he made a special one for me. Others are of sad times. The heart inscribed with “Love” and the star, “Faith”. Each was chosen to describe Grandpa Doc by the boys the first Christmas without him after a long struggle with cancer.

The homemade decorations from Advent celebrations at church and Sunday school are always added to the tree. Popsicle stick stars dipped in glue and glitter, painted dough handprints, twisted red and white pipe cleaner candy canes, and paper plate angels. Each one is a memory, complete with the artist’s name scrawled in crayon.

The tree decorating can get silly with peals of laughter as the phases of the boys’ interests through the years are depicted in their choice of ornaments. There was the year of the “diggers and dump trucks” with a bulldozer to hang on the tree. They chose tiny Matchbox cars to clip to the branches during the racecar phase. The Hallmark speedboat my youngest had to have because it was his favorite color is always prominently displayed. And then there was the Star Wars year. Yoda always seems to always find a place on the tree.

The nativity ornaments are the most precious to me. One by Tomie dePaola a student gave me when I was expecting my first child. The highly polished wooden manger scene a friend gave me from the Holy Land. The darling miniature bunny hangs with wings and a halo peering into the manger to see the Holy Child. The most special is an intricately carved Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus found in a tiny woodcarver’s shop next to the Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf, Austria. Two similar ornaments are carefully stored with the Christmas decorations for the boys to one day have for their own trees to remember our special family trip.

As each memory is unwrapped, my family revisits Christmas past. With steaming mugs of cocoa and a roaring fire, the four of us tell stories, laugh, and sing Christmas carols. Traditions bind families together. Sometime in the not too distant future each one of my sons will be starting traditions of his own, maybe with his own family. And just maybe, memories around a box of tissue and bubble-wrapped ornaments.

They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Psalm 145:7

What Christmas tradition do you hold dear?

12 Pearls of Christmas | Day 11 – Just Like Mary by Carla Anne Coroy

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series !

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog. The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Just Like Mary

By Carla Anne Coroy

Mary. Amazing Mary. Mother of Jesus. We marvel at her simple, faith-filled acceptance of God’s will for her life. There’s so little written about Mary in the Bible. We know almost nothing, really, about this woman that God chose to parent His Son.

Many have speculated about the exact age of Jesus’ mother. How old was she, really? What would it have been like to be greeted by an angel—and told you would become pregnant by the Spirit of God?

I wonder about other things sometimes, though. Like if she had morning sickness, or gained a lot of weight during her pregnancy. Was she overdue, or was baby Jesus born right on time? Did she mistake Braxton Hicks contractions for the real thing before labor really started? Was it a fast labor or did Joseph have eighteen hours to get that place into birthing readiness?

Most women who have ever given birth to a child have shared pregnancy stories. Everyone’s story is unique and interesting. Surely Mary’s was, too!

Then there are the stories of potty-training and conversations on how to get the baby to sleep through the night. Did Mary bounce Jesus on her knee while sharing recipes with other young moms?

We cannot find answers for these questions in Scripture. And as interesting as it might be to share pregnancy stories with Mary over a cup of coffee (maybe in heaven?) and get her tips on potty-training, we really don’t need to know any of that to love the Son she bore.

But Mary’s example raises questions about me and my own life that get under my skin.

Am I the kind of woman God will choose to be part of His plan? Do I trust and love my God enough to give faith-filled answers like she did? If there were just a few paragraphs written of my life for future generations to read, would those words reveal a heart of willing submission to God?

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 1:38, NIV)

God has not asked me to carry the burden of His Son in my womb. There are other burdens He is asking me, and you, to carry instead. Are we being the women He needs for the part of the plan we’re living in now? Am I saying to Jesus today, “May it be to me as you have said”?

During this Advent season, let’s prepare ourselves to be used by God, filled with faith and anticipating His grace—just like Mary.

***

Carla Anne Coroy is a Christian speaker and blogger, and the award-winning author of Married Mom, Solo Parent. She ministers to a wide audience through her website and blog at www.carlaanne.com. Carla Anne has served full-time with organizations such as Youth for Christ and Crown Financial Ministries, and is currently developing mentoring resources for women and an international mentoring organization for youth. She also serves as a staff writer for the online magazine Mentoring Moments for Christian Women and is a spokesperson for Faithbuddy.com. Carla Anne lives in Canada with her husband and four homeschooled children.

12 Pearls of Christmas | Day 10 – Christmas Mourning by Tricia Goyer

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series !

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog. The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we’re all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of Mother of Pearl, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.

***

Christmas Mourning

By Tricia Goyer

As I sat in our living room last Christmas morning, there was a pile of presents under the tree. A smile filled my face, just thinking about the joy and laughter that would fill the house in a few hours when we gathered around to hear the Christmas story, worship Jesus, and open presents.

That morning as I thought about the celebration of our Lord’s birth, my mind was already busy unwrapping. No, I wasn’t thinking ahead to presents. Instead, I was unwrapping the many memories of Christmas that I carry on my heart.

I remember sitting at the kids’ table in Grandma’s mobile home, laughing and goofing around with my brother and cousins. I remember the doll house my Grandpa made when I was seven and the loving care my grandma took to decorate it.

I remember the boom box and banana clips from high school and my first Christmas with my son Cory not long after I turned eighteen. Cory was only six months old, but the greatest gift God gave to both of us that year was John—my soon-to-be husband and Cory’s soon-to-be daddy.

There are memories of the kids acting out the Christmas story and Goyer family gatherings in which forty of us would eat in our cleaned-out and heated garage because it was the only place big enough to set up tables and chairs for everyone.

I also will never forget the first time I celebrated Christmas in California with my biological dad and the four sisters I didn’t know growing up. I had a happy heart that day, being with people I didn’t know well but who amazingly looked and acted just like me. How cool is that?!

As I write this, there are faces going to be missing around the tree, to be sure. There’s always a sense of missing when the people you love are far away. And that’s when Christmas Morning becomes Christmas Mourning. I’m thinking of my mom, dad, siblings, in-laws, and friends, wishing I could fill me house with their faces, their smiles, their laughter. I’m sure you understand.

It’s so easy to center Christmas around the baby who God sent, but we cannot forget the purpose for His coming. Jesus’ mission wasn’t just about the manager, the angels, and the swaddling clothes. His purpose was to offer himself so that we can spend eternity with Him and those we love.

The greatest gift is one we’ve yet to open. Salvation comes to our hearts when we whisper a prayer of faith and relinquishment—when we give up the right to ourselves.

Like a beautifully wrapped presents under the tree, the best part of the gift is still to come. My mind is anticipating the unwrapping. I can only guess of the joy and laughter to come!

***

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of four, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites. In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Tricia, along with a group of friends, recently launched www.NotQuiteAmishLiving.com, sharing ideas about simplifying life. She also hosts the weekly radio podcast, Living Inspired. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.