Living Hale

Here is one of my favorite blog post that I wrote a couple of years ago. I am a rock hound. I have a small collection of rocks. Of course, these are not run-of-the-mill rocks. I have geodes, rocks with amethyst and quartz, and others. It amazes me that our creative God spent so much time developing the variety we see in these rocks. If I was in the place of God, and I was feeling creative, I might have developed a dozen different style of rocks. If I were in the place of God, and I were creating gemstones, I would have come up with a handful, and called it a day. But, as I look at the world around me, I see so much diversity in rocks and gemstones. Just consider the fact that there are so many types and colors of sapphire, or ruby, or quartz.              Then I look around more at the world God created. I see the rich tapestry of color. There are so many hues of color. One body of water can display an almost infini...

Two years ago, our family seemed to be living the perfect life. Sure, there were struggles and difficulties. But, we had a beautiful home, fairly well-adjusted kids, jobs that were almost ideal and paid well, and many friends. We were able to take great vacations. We never worried about finances or the future. Then our lives began to spin out of control. Our family faced an unexpected crisis almost two years ago from which we have yet to recover. The past two years have been filled with changes and challenges of all sorts. We have left jobs, left home and friends, struggled to make new friends, faced layoffs, sold a house, bought a house, re-financed a home, moved from one state to another state, struggled to pay bills, and been “under-employed.” We have taken vacation that put us in debt. Our kids have experienced emotional and physical setbacks. We have struggled to find our way and find our purpose. I think each family member has gone through seasons of depression, sometimes se...