Does life feel stale?
Need a breath of fresh air?
I did too.
Here's how I threw open the windows and began again.
You can too!
Today Will be a Great Day
OK. So here’s the deal. From my heart to yours. Isn’t it time we stop saying stupid stuff to ourselves? (“You really are a mess, aren’t you? Uggh. Nothing will ever change—why even try? I’m just tired of everything. Nothing good is ever going to happen again. This mess will never get fixed.”) Stupid stuff that isn’t true and isn’t helpful. Instead, how about if we start speaking life and hope into our lives? We can do that, you know. Even those of us who are Midwestern
The Anchor Holds
The day started out pretty well. My Bible and prayer time in the morning was encouraging and meaningful. My exercising got done and I felt the results (ooftah). And then when I got into the day, I started … roaming. Wandering around the house. Up and down, room to room, opening and closing the fridge door, flipping through books, scrolling through my phone. There was work to be done, but my mind would not get focused. My thoughts felt like the little steel ball that flies around
Time for the Annual Switch
Listen! Do you hear it? It’s a melodic strain that sounds like humming birds bringing lightness, sweetness and gleefulness. It will get louder and even brighter over the next few days…you’ll hear harmony, giggles, energy, and emotion. If you live in the Midwest, throw open your windows and lean around the screen door and listen for it. If you aren’t a blizzard – road construction – mosquito resident, tilt your head towards Minnesota and turn your ears our way. You’ll hear it…listen for it… It’s the sound of Girlfriends all
Like Playing Jazz
Good grief. I took them all so very seriously… The piano competitions. (You’d think that my entire life depended on playing Für Elise without a mistake.) Months of practicing all boiled down to five minutes in a noise-less room that echoed when you pulled the piano bench forward on the wood floor, empty except for a baby grand piano, an oblong table with judges sitting behind it on folding chairs with pencils raised, and a few extra chairs for the very anxious parents. The competition. The judges.
Time for Something New?
On most days, it’s just a simple pair of workout leggings. You know. The spandex kind that I should never ever ever wear in public with a short top. The kind that holds everything in tight and you actually feel like there is no more fat to jiggle. That kind of simple leggings. But last Tuesday morning, those leggings became a little more than that. They were a statement to myself. You’ve probably heard that we’ve had a verrrrryy long winter here in Minnesota. And as I
My Joanna Gaines Moments
Awe-struck probably best describes my reaction. I was watching Fixer-Upper, the episode when they develop their new restaurant, the Magnolia Table. What can Joanna Gaines NOT do? She was designing the floor mural, creating the flow of the space, picking out the perfect palette of colors, deciding on the table shapes, and creating special decorating touches that made it look … like Joanna Gaines did it. And then. Then she started developing the menu. Aaaand creating the recipes. And deciding how to use kale and strawberry honey
Our Response
I hope we don’t miss it… In all the scheduled church services, the pageantry, the choir rehearsals, the Easter Sunday breakfast… I hope we don’t miss it. The opportunity to quietly make our hearts right with God. The colors, the emotions, the waiving palms. The darkness of Maundy Thursday, the deathly beating of the drum on Good Friday, and the Alleluia celebrations on Sunday morning. I love what they mean and what they remind us of during this Holy Week. They draw me in and speak to my
Let’s Have Some Fun!
It’s the weekend! So many errands… An endless to-do list… And the house…well, a bit of cleaning seems a necessity. Yeah. There’s stuff that needs to get done. And … How about this … Can we take just a few moments to just Sit. Or Play. Or Dance instead? Are you finding that it’s really easy to take life a bit too seriously during this “Ha-Ha- It’s-Not- Spring-Yet” month? Me too. Good grief. I’m so ready to just lighten up. Throw off the heavy coat. Box up
When Life is Too Much
So. You know those moments when you look around you and wonder, “I didn’t think my life would look like this?” Those moments matter. Why? Because they offer the opportunity to realize you have strength you didn’t know you had. That “good” and joy and fulfillment can co-exist with messy. And God always shows up. My sisters and I are very grateful that we can work out our schedules so we can take turns staying with our mom. Her not-very- serious-yet dementia challenges still require us to
Opening Prayer
Hi, Friends. I’ve just started reading Dallas Willard’s book, “Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23.” Wow. His words are reminding me of how little I expect from this amazing God. He is a generous God, and I too frequently live in a state of scarcity. Dallas wrote a poem that begins this book. It spoke right into my heart. I hope you can find a few minutes to let its message linger in your soul. Lord Jesus Christ, We are so thankful to
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Consider me a city girl with a Midwest small town heart. I’m not afraid to poke fun at my own mishaps, and I love laughing out loud 'til it hurts! As a speaker, author, blogger, and Chief Encourager, I bring you a breath of fresh air on this journey we call life!