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On Anxiety and the Zombification of Midlife

At this particular stage in my life, I'm often afflicted with poor sleep.  With visions of doom and gloom, I will awaken at 3am, soaked in sweat and wracked with dread.  Sleep is so elusive some nights that I drift through the afternoons like a zombie, drowning myself in caffeine.  I am told by my friends and the internet literature that increased anxiety and insomnia is par for the course for a woman on the brink of 50.  If so, I hope this stage goes quickly!     Without a doubt, this hormonal roller coaster is impacting my sense of hope and optimism.  Instead of feeling strong, I find myself paralyzed with fright and negative thoughts.  Yet I know that fear comes from the Enemy.  I need to remember to turn my battles over to the Lord.  I often forget to ask Him to fight for me: Psalm 35:1   "Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!" I forget that the battle is not won by my own brute strength - fighting entirely ALONE -
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My BFF Is Not a Person

Friends.  How do we make friends in the 21st century?  Friends are traditionally made through face-to-face gatherings, "in-person" gatherings as we've coined the term these days.  But social media giants like Facebook claim to make friendships happen virtually.  For the past three years, however, I didn't use Facebook.  In  fact, I backed up all my Facebook data and chose the most extreme form of Facebook abadonment:  I DELETED my account.  Instead of interacting with people online, I met neighborhood friends I saw in person.  I joined a band and made friends with our fans at gigs each week.  I exchanged numbers with moms I met at the playground.  I had people over for dinner.  I went to church.   How'd it go?  I'm living proof that you can survive without Facebook.  Having a three-year hiatus from my Facebook friends helped me spend more time being fully present with my kids and husband.  I have no regrets.  But since we decided to move to Las Vegas a few mon
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From Hay Bales to Street Lights

From sixth grade through college, I lived in the densely populated suburb of Fairfax County, Virginia, just a half-hour from Washington, DC.  So while I've lived in more urban environments, it's been about 28 years.  In terms of contrast, the Vegas metro area is a bit of culture shock from my most recent environs.  To put it bluntly, it's nothing like the cows and hay bales we left behind. A little background... In 1997, my ex-husband wanted to buy our first home where he grew up, on the far western outskirts of what we call Northern Virginia, or NoVA for short.  Despite my anxiety about relocating to a place where bluegrass and country music were the reigning art forms, we bought a three-acre property in a little town called Purcellville, Virginia.  The rooster's crow became my alarm clock and the shrieking bark of the red fox reminded me of just how backwoods Purcellville was at the time.  I got used to filling the gas tank to go to the closest mall or movie theatre 4
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