Marlys Johnson Lawry

Marlys is a speaker, award-winning writer (Cascade Awards 2019 and 2022), and Chai latte enthusiast. She loves getting outdoors—would rather lace up hiking boots than go shopping—and has a passion for encouraging people to live well in the hard and holy seasons of life, having embraced her share of sorrows and losses.

This Is What I Would Say to My Younger Mom Self

This Is What I Would Say to My Younger Mom-Self

By / Audio Articles, Faith

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) Our daughter was away at college when our son graduated from high school. With a job lined up in Northern California, I drove him south across the Oregon border to help get him settled. On our last evening together, we went grocery shopping. Do you see how much it costs to eat in the manner to which you’ve become accustomed? But I don’t say this out loud. The next morning, I hugged him good-bye and then turned my car north. Melancholy rode with me in the passenger seat—past Shasta Lake and into the green mountains of Oregon. From birth until they sprouted wings and cleared the runway, I enjoyed every chapter of our […]

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You Are a Purpose Wrapped in a Person

You Are a Purpose Wrapped in a Person

By / Audio Articles, Purpose

(Listen to the audio version of this article here.) Once upon a time, I was a stay-at-home mom. I loved being the one to cheer my children on as they drooled their first grins, stumbled over their first steps, and attempted their first somersaults. Those kiddos grew into teenagers and our parenting objectives changed up a bit. We wanted our home to be a place where they enjoyed hanging out with their friends. It turns out, we never wondered where they were on a Friday night. They were at our place with all their friends—playing their guitars, and playing the piano, and playing video games all at the same time. Gallons of milk would disappear in an afternoon. And if I turned

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Now You Can Find Purpose in the Midst of Your Troubles

Now You Can Find Purpose in the Midst of Your Troubles

By / Purpose

Back when I was newly widowed, I emailed a farewell letter to the community I served in my position at the cancer center. A friend wrote back, pleased that I was able to take an early retirement: “Define your purpose; live your reason.” These words were his mantra as his young daughter was dying of cancer. I had a clear idea of my purpose for the next season of life: I wanted to write. I wanted to speak hope and courage to other people through my writing. And so I listened to podcasts, signed up for an online course, redesigned my website, and drafted a list of goals and action steps. In his study on strategies for achieving goals, Dominican University’s psychology professor,

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I Said I Would Never Date Again, but Then

I Said I Would Never Date Again, but Then…

By / Faith

My children have given their blessing for me to date and remarry, but my son had one stipulation: “As long as he has a yacht.” Although I’ve been deeply content as a widow and there are no boyfriend possibilities, I drafted an inventory of the basic requirements. Owning a yacht is not on my list. “You shouldn’t limit yourself to a list,” a friend cautioned. “You might miss some really great opportunities.” But, if we’re setting out to make a major decision—say, purchasing a house—then don’t most home buyers have a price point, general location, and square footage in mind? And if a great house in the right school district (with a short commute to work) presents itself, but we wanted wood

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This-is-Why-You-Need-a-Self-Care-Day-and-What-to-Do

This Is Why You Need a Self-Care Day (And What to Do)

By / Health & Beauty, Life & Culture

My husband, Gary, woke me up one pre-sunrise morning. “Feels like the flu,” he said. We’d been here before. I threw on my clothes and hurried to the emergency entrance of the hospital. Because when you add flu-like symptoms to chemotherapy, it adds up to serious infections. After five hours of infused antibiotics, I brought Gary home, prepared something for him to eat, ran out to pick up his prescription…(wait for it)…and then reported to work. Exhausted in every imaginable way. Because if I didn’t do my job, it would land on someone else’s desk. In Gary’s declining months I didn’t listen to my body. I didn’t care for my soul and spirit. Because self-care sounded so self-centered. But it’s not. Self-care

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