(Remembering really fun moments from a few years ago …) The cable was as thin as my confidence that it could actually bear my weight. I looked across the ravine to where my landing place would be, and I looked down into the ravine where I did not want my landing place to be. And then I just shook. Good grief. I was zip lining. Now just let me say… For those of you who have done this, and the experience was not fearful and only exhilarating…I applaud you. High-five. Atta’ girl. I’m impressed. Really. But my first Continue Reading
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 Scandinavians who tread lightly when it comes to lifting Continue Reading
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 Continue Reading
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 write this little note in mid-April, we’re waiting for another Continue Reading
Live Your Story Well
Wouldn’t it be cool if we each had a ghostwriter writing our life story? If all we had to do was wake up and follow the script that was written for us? The ideal day script filled with only happy scenes that tells us exactly what to do, where to go, what to wear, how to act, what to eat, who to see… you get the picture, right? But, nope. We write our own stories. We are the playwright, producer, stagehand, director, costume designer, and lead character in the story we write each day. (I think “costume designer” is the role that Continue Reading
Changing the Words
I love words. And I am tired of words. One reason for this weariness is that I’m finishing the writing on my next book, and everything I write sounds like blah, blah, blah. The bullies inside my head are not sending me feedback messages with smiley faces and pink hearts! (Oh, writing is so humbling!) I know this is part of the process…but ooftah. A bigger reason for this weariness, though, is because the world just seems to be filled with so many words. I watch the news, read the papers, check in on Facebook, and the words are Continue Reading
The Synch Swimmers
Yup. I’ve got the fever. Olympic fever. And I’m counting the days ‘til Rio. My favorite event? Synchronized swimming. I don’t think it even shows up in prime time – it’s not a big fan favorite – but watching those ladies swim in synch actually makes me...gleeful. I tried it once, you know. My friend Lynn and I decided we’d give it a shot. Good grief. Whatever were we thinking. We selected the hyped-up music, created a dazzling routine, donned the colorful swim caps, and performed for a group of friends in a hotel swimming Continue Reading
Hanging By One String
It was a freak accident. Twenty years ago. Our good friend, Patti, had just moved into an adorable townhouse that sat on the edge of a golf course. She was sitting in a lawn chair enjoying the summer sun when the you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up event happened. A golf ball hit very hard from somewhere on the green went way off course and landed… On her eye. The result? The eye was struck by such force that they had to remove everything inside the eye. They saved the retina and the cornea. But they implanted a lens, attaching it with Continue Reading
Doing Great Things
Great things. Actions that change someone’s life. That change our communities. That make our hearts smile. Let’s do them, OK? Let’s do Great Things this summer. Our pace changes during these few months. It seems easier to breathe. (At least it does here in Minnesota when we don’t have to worry about icicles forming inside the wool scarf that wraps around our nose!) Days are longer and we find more time away from our usual routine. We’re more likely to connect with people in person – reunions, vacations, trips to the Continue Reading
Don’t Think So Hard: Just Do It
The lady with the easy laugh standing next to me chuckled and said… Your feet are flat on the ground, Gaye. You don’t have anything to worry about. We were watching a few of our fellow campers from The Alley Church Retreat navigate across the high cable. Well actually, I had to turn away because looking up at them swaying in the wind made me a bit nervous. Oh. My. Word. To say I was impressed with their courage and strength is putting it mildly. These ladies were amazing! And once they climbed up the pole and shimmied across Continue Reading
You Matter
A few months ago when I was reworking my website, I thought and prayed long and hard about what I wanted readers to know. And the key message boiled down to the first two sentences I used on my Home Page: If we were sitting in a little café getting to know each other, I’d put my hand on your arm and whisper this to you…Your life matters. No one else can be you, and that makes you extraordinarily significant. Some of us don’t mind being seen on stage or greeted with big embraces or acknowledged with lots of attention. And others of us Continue Reading
A Place to Relax
Alone… Our shoulders are not big enough to carry what we think we must. Our emotions are too human to care as deeply as we think we must. Our perspectives are too limited to make all the decisions we think we must. We don’t need to live Alone. Continue Reading
Come Join Us – Hopkins, MN – February 7!
We are going to have a great time at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Hopkins, MN on Saturday morning, February 7th! Come join us! We will giggle...laugh...enjoy two chef-prepared meals (no cooking for you!)...and get renewed and refreshed as we talk about Our Journey with God, Girlfriends & Chocolate. Registrations will be taken by the church until February 2. Call the Church office at 952-935-1753 or register online here. I would love to see you there! Gethsemane Lutheran Church 715 Minnetonka Mills Continue Reading
Girlfriends Make the Journey Sweeter
For all the Girlfriends who have laughed from our bellies together, cried the ugly cry, and eaten chocolate- chocolate chip ice cream with each other before lunch…This is for you! (How about telling your Girlfriends how special they are today!) (Whoo hoo! My book, God, Girlfriends & Chocolate is now available for Kindle!) Continue Reading
My Heart Still Wears a Parka
Winter is over in Minnesota. Can I hear an Amen! (At least we hope it is. Let’s all knock on a piece of wood that’s no longer snow-covered, shall we?) The thick Michelin-woman parkas are stuffed into the basement closets, stocking caps with the cute ear flaps are shoved into the Tupperware organizers, and our boots …well, they’re still in reachable distance because we have this the-snow-has-melted-where-does-the-water-go thing going on. We are pros at knowing how to protect our skin and bones during the season of blizzards and Continue Reading
And God Smiled
This is a guest post by my friend, Shari McGuire. Shari is a time management expert -- and loves God! And God smiled. Recently, in light of some airline ticket fares that were purchased for significantly less than normal due to a computer glitch, I pledged on social media to do the right thing and not take advantage of a company mistake going forward. Even for something as small as a beverage that is missed on my restaurant check,. And God wasted no time putting me to the test. The very next day I was standing in the return Continue Reading
“…just give me enough.”
Keep me from lying and being dishonest. And don’t make me either rich or poor; just give me enough… Proverbs 30:8 (NCV) One of my favorite bloggers, Heidi Kreider, shared a post a few days ago that caused me to pause. There are so many great Girlfriends out there sharing their hearts, God's heart, and encouraging mine. And last week, Heidi's words made me stop and take a deep breath. May I encourage you to just jump over to her site today by clicking here? Read her post, "enough..." She will remind you of the power in Continue Reading
Let God Be God
When the challenges come, too often our natural inclination is to try and fix the problems ourselves. Right? I've learned that doesn't work. (It's a lesson I keep learning, and keep learning, and keep learning...) Taking my problems on as a "Do it yourself" project just prolongs the discomfort, anxiety, and poor results. Today I'm over at my friend, Teri Johnson's site -- Keeping It Personal. I'm sharing a bit more about what I've learned about getting out of the way... and Letting God Be God. Come join us! Continue Reading
A Place to Belong
My Friend, Stephanie, and I were having one of those really neat conversations around my kitchen table last week. You know, the one where we could probably solve all the world’s problems if we wanted to. But we’re more interested in the details of each other’s every day, “this is my world” experiences. …Appreciating the text messages that Stephanie gets from her kids while they’re at school, even though they’re at that age where it may not be “cool” to check in with mom. …Realizing that the only text My Mom can relate to is the Continue Reading
BlessBack
"Guide me to the people who are coastliners I can trust. As I have looked back over my life, I realize just how significant people are to my own journey through life. Some have only stayed for a year or two; Some have been with me since I was born. Help me honor them in a way that reflects their impact and my gratitude for their influence.” A benediction from BlessBack: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life by Julie Saffrin. Mrs. McCauley was my first grade teacher. She taught me that reading, writing, and arithmetic could be Continue Reading
The Girlfriends. The Cards.
The Girlfriends. The funny cards. The warm messages. I love staying in touch using “old fashioned” greeting cards in the mail. (We still do that, right?) And finding the really funny card or notecard with the perfect message? My day is made. My collection grows. (By the way...although the messages don't fit into my card boxes...delivering emails, posting Facebook messages, and Tweeting my “thinking of you” notes feels so good when I hit that Send button.) But ooftah. I have not been doing that well. For way too many Continue Reading
Gracious Girlfriends
My book club meets this week. I haven’t read the book. My Girlfriends love me anyway. That makes my heart smile. I work hard at doing the right thing, following the rules, and showing up prepared. In the past, I’d get pretty bent out of shape if I wasn’t going to be ready…I’d stay up way too late skimming the book. But I’ve been learning a lot from my Girlfriends. They like me – love me – whether or not I’ve read the book. They have taught me that acceptance shouldn’t be based on rules, readiness, or being Continue Reading
Joanne’s Prayer
The words were written on a regular piece of writing paper. No colorful, fancy stationery. No clever greeting card. It was perfect. My friend, Joanne Neumann, handed me the note before church started one Sunday morning. “May you be blessed by the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 115:15) The words were few. And they brought all the power of the King of Kings with them. Joanne is the kind of Girlfriend you want to have in your life. Her heart knows how to love, care, and sacrifice. Her kindness is Continue Reading
Only in the Movies
Really. On what planet does this happen? Beautiful young woman walking in the rain…contemplating life with or without the man she is madly in love with. The raindrops are sharp and icy cold. The wind is swirling – with no hood for protection, her face and hair are getting a beating. She makes up her mind. He’s the one. She rushes to his apartment, into his arms, and she looks…well, she looks like she just stepped out of “hair and make-up.” Beautiful, wet (perfect!) curls frame her rosy cheeks. Thick mascara has stayed on Continue Reading
Grateful for Girlfriends
Where would we be without our girlfriends? They make us laugh. They make us cry. They listen to our whining. They defend us without question. And the best part? They bring us joy. In the picture at the left, I’m polka-ing with my friend Chere Bork at a National Speakers Association party. Our friend Susan Zimmerman is dancing right behind us. I love this picture. It is filled with laughter from the belly. Energy. Friendship. We are just having such a great time. When was the last time you left your complaining and whining Continue Reading
