A few personal facts to help us get acquainted…
- My hometown is Climax, Minnesota
(she says proudly). Rich with stoic Scandinavian farmers who cared about faith, family, the land, education, and the weather. - Give me a piano, and my fingers will fly and my heart will sing. (Make it a Baby Grand and I’m truly in My Happy Place.)
- Best corporate leadership experience: Leading an awesome team that supported 11,000 airline employees.
- Ooftah! is one my favorite words and it usually means anything I want it to mean.
- In my dreams I am athletic and toned…but I always wake up.
- Loved serving as President of the National Speakers Association-MN Chapter.
- Words in books can deliver sunshine to my soul on even the cloudiest days.
- I’m seeing life through the eyes of My Mom who struggles to remember what happened moments ago, but never forgets those memories stored in her heart.
- Served as Senior Vice President/Special Assistant to a college president.
- I‘m still wondering why our home needs a kitchen.
- Auntie Gaye is my second-favorite name. (My husband Steve calls me Sweets and that’s #1).
- Laughing with my two sisters is Just. The. Best.
- Women’s groups rock! Serving as Midwest Regional Director for the Christian Women in Media Association.
- Ice cream? Yes!
I wish Gaye was my next door neighbor! She’s the perfect blend of friendliness and wisdom that you want to have close by. She makes you laugh, and you leave her presence feeling valued and encouraged.
Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend
Every role we play as women brings its own set of joy and hassles. I want to show up fully present for each of them. There’s a special place in my heart for those of us who have the laugh lines and wrinkles that prove we have truly lived, and who are brave enough to leave the Spanx at home.
Jesus Follower
My faith journey was started by parents who taught me that God is faithful. Always. Camp Joy Bible Camp taught me that a life of faith is more than a religion or following a set of rules; it’s a grace-filled relationship with God. My faith journey as an adult has had its share of clear roads, detours, and potholes. I’m asking tougher questions, trying to reconcile the real world with God’s promises, and learning to live a faith-filled and joy-filled life when the demands are so great.
Speaker
I love to laugh and am not afraid to poke fun at my own mishaps. From growing up in a farming community in northwestern Minnesota to living in the big city, the stories that come from observing life in the real world encourage our hearts and feed our souls. It is a privilege to join other women in drawing closer to God and each other. We laugh, we might get a bit teary, and we remember that the journey is just as important as the destination.
Author
Most of the time I write about faith, and sometimes I write about life happenings that I find amusing, terrifying, or life-changing. My blog posts are a way for me to clear my own heart and head and then remind fellow travelers that we are on this journey together. When a reader says, “It’s as if you took my thoughts and put them on paper,” the deletes and re-writes are all worth it. Two of my books, God, Girlfriends & Chocolate and This is Livin’! Learning to Move from Messy Moments to Happy Places, offer giggles, hope, and encouragement. They’re stories and lessons learned about life and faith – the good, the not-so-good, and the “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
