Category:
The Hard Stuff
The Haircut (a.k.a., Growing Pains)
As she was cutting fist-fulls of hair from my head, my hair stylist told me this story: “When I was younger, I always wanted to have short hair and my mom wouldn’t let me. Then when I was in beauty school, I asked one of the instructors to cut my hair and she wouldn’t either.…
Keys to Happiness
A note before I begin: I’ve been chewing on elements of this blog post for a couple years, and the specifics have been developing over the last several weeks. Coincidentally (providentially?) I learned only after I sat down to write that Inside Out 2 is being released into theaters this week. During all the days…
Scared and Unafraid: Video Presentation!
Back on December 3rd I had the opportunity to lead a presentation on fear. I promise something in here will make you think a bit differently about fear. I hope you take the time to watch. Click the image below to play. This link should start at 9:40 which is right before the start of…
The Speed of Change
I was reading an article the other day on the Catholic Synod that started earlier this month. If you aren’t familiar, this “Synod on Synodality” convened bishops from all around the world to pray for God’s direction for the Catholic Church. Through a series of meetings, this global gathering will culminate in a document of…
Easter Vigil When You Don’t Feel Like Celebrating
“It’s a celebration!” “For some,” I wanted to say. But I didn’t want to be seen as a downer or as though I didn’t appreciate the significance of this special day. I merely tried to smile, and nodded, and walked on. If you’re someone who also struggled to reflect the joy of Easter this year,…
What Are You Wrestling For? (You may need to change it.)
I’ve been wrestling with the deep and the hard these last few years. God knows it. I know it. The bell sounds and we go another round. I think of Jacob wrestling all night long and I think, wow, what a relief that would be if this only lasted one night. But I am persistent.…
I Need You to be Okay Without Me
This post is about my dog. And about so much more than my dog. It’s also about me, and possibly you, too. You see, when the pandemic hit, I was one of the lucky ones. Through a series of fortunate arrangements, I have been working remotely for the past two years. My dog loves this…
Thinking Sad. And How Not To.
Sometimes there are sad thoughts I have to think. Life, it turns out, is not always happy. But sometimes there are sad thoughts I don’t have to think… and I think them anyway. I bet this has happened to you, too: I could be going about my day seemingly fine and the next thing I…
It’s Time
The new year is a good time to think about new beginnings, but it certainly isn’t the only time. Into creation God has built cycles, seasons, and even mandates that prompt us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again. And again. From the beginning, God established a 7-day cycle of…
Making Sense of it All
“It doesn’t have to make sense, it has to make faith.” I was in a small group discussion where one of the ladies was relaying a conversation she had with a pastor. As someone who likes to make sense of everything, I was struck by this point. Sometimes things would be easier to endure if…
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Meet Janet!
Janet Beagle, PhD is the founder of The Mustard Patch. She divides her time between the Midwest and New England, and if she’s not writing, she’s probably out hiking with her 2-and 4-footed friends.