Hi! If this is your first Thanksgiving here in our community of encouragement, welcome! I’m glad you’re here. And, if you’ve been here a while, this week’s note may have a familiar ring to it. It’s one of my most favorite things I’ve ever written, and the message is always timely. Sending it to you is an annual tradition. Blessings of gratitude to you, my friend. ❤️ It’s the guest many of us bring to Thanksgiving dinner. The guest that can turn a beautiful get-together into a swirling chaos of frustrations, silent tears, and sour Continue Reading
🌱 Ready to Reignite? Let’s Plow the Field Together
Ever wake up and think, “Lord, if You’re giving out refills of energy and enthusiasm, I’ll take a double pump.” Yeah, me too. Some days my motivation packs up and heads for vacation without me. But here’s the good news: if you’ve ever felt that same “where’s-my-spark?” slump, I’ve got just the thing to help. I’m so excited to open the cover of Reignite Your Spirit! A Companion Guide and show you what’s inside! It’s like a spark plug for your spirit. We’ve all been there. There are days … and then there are days, right? The ones Continue Reading
Ready to Reignite Your Spirit?
Sometimes I need a kick in the butt. Other times? I just need a nap. And isn’t it just like God to offer both? Acts 22:10 says, “What should I do, Lord?” And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go.’” Oh my. Yes. I bet you’ve heard that direction too, right? God didn’t place us here–at this time, in this place—to stand still. He has something for us to do. We are part of his beautiful plan. And we can’t respond to his call if we refuse to move. I’ve discovered that God uses two different voices with me when He wants me to move. Sometimes Continue Reading
Healing From Life’s Deepest Hurts
My friend has written a powerful book. One that brings healing, encouragement, and a deep dose of hope. And I want you to know about it. Life’s deepest hurts can lead us to believe that nothing will be right again. That the pain won’t go away, and there’s no more hope. If you’ve ever been there, or if you’re there now, you are not alone. My friend Kim Haar knows all about deep hurts. And she wrote a book about it: In this raw and compassionate book, licensed counselor Kimberly Haar pulls back the curtain on her own devastating Continue Reading
Bologna, Butter, and the Beauty of Ordinary
My sisters and I spent last week walking the beach, lathering up with sunscreen like it was our part-time job, and letting the rhythm of the waves do their slow-down, soul-soothing work. One afternoon, while we were sunk low in our little beach chairs, feet buried in warm sand, sun visors tilted at just the right angle, Julie turned to me and said, “Wouldn't a bologna sandwich taste good right now?” I hadn’t thought about bologna sandwiches in years. But just like that, I was transported back to sitting on a towel spread across Continue Reading
She Decided. She Did.
There’s something about a woman’s memoir—the kind that starts with sunshine and ends with strength—that always pulls me in. I love to read. And memoirs are at the top of my list. My favorites are typically written by a not-so-young woman whose story reads something like this... Her life brimmed with hope. Big dreams. Exciting expectations. Blue skies and sun-filled days. She had energy that made skipping in her summer slip-ons easy-peasy. Then life happened. Dreams dissolved into disappointment. Skipping? Not a chance. She Continue Reading
It’s Time to Plow
Growing up in a small farming community, my sisters and I knew we had really started to “get older” when dad let us plow the field with his beloved John Deere tractor. Getting the field planted depended on that plowing—turning up the soil and breaking up the weed roots. Timing was everything. Weather-watching was all-consuming. Rainstorms weren’t helpful. You’d work all night if the conditions were right. You couldn’t waste a moment. Plowing brought farming to a whole new level for my sisters and me. We would actually drive the tractor Continue Reading
Mukluks for our Hearts
Here in Minnesota, we are peaking out from our frosty windows, finally emerging from our frozen tundra. The days of -20 degree weather, wind chill, and treacherous sidewalks are fading. The snow is clearing, and I even saw a guy in the grocery store wearing shorts when we hit +10 degrees. (It seemed a bit extreme.) No matter the season, we Midwesterners are experts at protecting ourselves from the elements. Remember those elementary school days? We’d spend half of recess just getting ready—pulling on pants under our dresses, Continue Reading
Once Upon a Time, She … What?
God, you know me so well. And my goodness, you sure are speaking to me today. I’m listening. That was my silent prayer as I sat in church not long ago, taking in every word and nudge. Because I believe you’ll relate, and maybe even find it helpful in your own faith walk, I’m sharing a few moments from that Sunday. A Theme That Drew Me In It started with the bulletin, carried through our community confession, and continued in a good conversation with Steve after church. The theme for the day? “From now on you will be catching Continue Reading
Too Much Blah Blah Blah
A couple weeks ago I shared thoughts about the intense, tough news that is filling our air waves—and our responsibility to balance it with the good news. I’m still thinking about that. I’m reminded of a chapter I wrote in This is Livin’: Learning to Move from Messy Moments to Happy Places. The memory of sitting on a plane, listening to and writing about the overwhelming blah blah blah behind me is still fresh on my mind. And the Aha! lesson it left me with is still so relevant today. Since I can’t stop thinking about it, I’m sharing Continue Reading
Bring the News
“Tonight. Breaking news as we come on the air.” David Muir begins his ABC World News Tonight broadcast with that same sentence every weeknight. I feel his intensity in my bones, see the piercing focus in his eyes, hear the low hum of danger in his voice, and I can’t decide if I should shut off the TV, or brace for impact. Instead, I’ve just started talking back to him. “Yes, David. Something bad has happened and you’re going to tell us all about it.” “Can you share anything besides tragedy at the top of the hour?” “Is it Continue Reading
Hope Comes in the Messiness
“This is a good life—my heart is glad, my soul is full of joy, and my body is at rest. Who could want for more? … You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment.” David originally wrote those words as a personal, private meditation, known to us as Psalm 16:9-11. It became one of his “miktams”—a “golden meditation dealing with truth so significant it should be preserved forever.” (Exploring the Psalms, John Phillips) Truth so significant Continue Reading
The Peace-Bringer’s Gift
Merry Christmas! Please take a minute to follow the link in my P.S. to a favorite Christmas note from a couple years ago. It’s a short essay called “Let Me Be the Person.” May it encourage your heart today! ❤️ “I’d like to teach the world to sing… in perfect harmony…” (Remember that ad jingle / song?) Fun fact here because inquiring minds want to know … That song began as a phrase on a napkin. An ad executive saw airport travelers angry and upset over a forced layover. The next morning, he saw his traveling companions talking Continue Reading
What if you Choose…
An Instagram post by Pastor Derwin Gray, addressed to pastors, stopped me in my tracks. Here’s the quote: “Pastor, Lead like Jesus rose from the dead, preach like the Gospel is true, and pray like God still parts seas.” Oh my. There is power in those words, right? Even if we aren’t pastors, that prayer can be our invocation as we move into our day. Consider how our daily choices, words and responses would shift! We’d face every conversation, messy moment, and disappointment with hope, knowing that we are loved by a Continue Reading
Embrace Life’s Good Things
Hi there! Just a quick note: If your women’s group is looking for a speaker who shares biblical messages with encouragement, stories, and a touch of humor, I’d love to be considered. Spring events are already popping up so let’s connect! Thanks! A few moments that filled my heart over the past couple of weeks … My sisters and I spent a weekend celebrating the release of my new book, “Anticipate God’s Goodness: Letters of Encouragement to Ignite Your Spirit.” Most of our time was spent laughing and poking fun at our own life Continue Reading
Why Bother?
Lean in and read some words of encouragement! And don’t miss my question at the end – I’d love to hear from you. Laugh lines and wrinkles? No problem—they’re proof I’ve truly lived. But this chin hair invasion creeping up my cheeks? Never thought I’d need to be plucking the sides of my face! Last week I pulled into the dentist’s parking lot and checked the visor mirror for a quick presentability scan. But then I thought, Why bother? She’s going to be looking straight into my mouth—a sight that’s far from presentable! And then. My Continue Reading
Make a Bigger Circle
When there’s not enough room in the circle, we just make a bigger circle. Last week I visited the adorable small town known as Gnometown USA (AKA Dawson, MN). It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced a town that felt so much like a community. After speaking to two groups on Thursday, I got up Friday morning and headed for Gnometown Grounds, the local café, bakery and gift shop. That visit was a gift straight from the heavens. Emma, the café’s owner, was helping me pull together a collection of all-things-gnome that I wanted to Continue Reading
Farming Lessons
I learned it first in farming. Farmers and families coming together when the fields were ready for harvest and the rain was coming tomorrow as sure as the sun would come up. Trucks and combines moving across dusty gravel roads in single file and descending on someone’s farm to help them get their crop in. Then the John Deeres and Massey Fergusons caravanning to the next farm with ears tuned in to weather reports while turning on lights to break through the dusk, and men and women in overalls praying for just a couple more Continue Reading
Today. Change the Ending.
This has got to be the most extreme case of procrastination ever recorded. I mean, really. The “Plague of the Frogs” story in the Bible is almost too much to comprehend (Exodus 8). Check this out… Pharaoh is the new king in Egypt, and he really does not care for God’s people, the Israelites. He’s worried about the growing size of their group and potential strength. So, he “put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor.” (Exodus 1:11) Then Moses is born. (And if you haven’t read this guy’s story in a while, it’s a Continue Reading
Let’s Be Chin Lifters
I was walking past the graham crackers in the grocery store when the elderly woman in the blue wool coat pushing a grocery cart rushed up to me. “Where are the paper towels?” Her sense of urgency really caught my attention. It came through her voice and her eyes. Panic. Anxiety. Lots of it. “My husband had an ‘accident.’ He’s sitting in the car. He’s so embarrassed. We’re on our way to a quartet reunion and they’re waiting for us.” Oh my. Can’t you just imagine all the emotions her trembling heart was experiencing in those Continue Reading
Show Up. Speak Up.
It was comical to watch. Even now, many years later, I chuckle when I replay those moments in my brain while I remember the excruciating discomfort my sister was experiencing. It's the time when my youngest sister Lori was trying to sell health and cleaning products from the booth at the county fair (better known, very fondly, as the Fertile Fair). The back story: In addition to teaching and farming, mom and dad had a successful direct sales business. Mom really managed the business, and she invited, encouraged, expected my sisters Continue Reading
Encouragement Coming Your Way!
I’ve got a word of encouragement for you, but first I gotta’ tell you … My new book is done and it’s available to YOU! Imagine what your everyday life could look like if, instead of waiting for life to show up, you showed up and discovered life! This collection of letters from me to you brings a big dose of encouragement from God’s Word, and stories infused with wit and humor. I really think you’re going to like it! God has really good things planned for you. Anticipate His goodness! You’ll find the book on Amazon. And may I Continue Reading
Ask for Directions
Growing up in Minnesota’s Red River Valley means that you lived in a beautiful, very, very flat section of God’s country. You can look in any direction for miles and see only land. Flat land. Flat fields. With trees surrounding the farmhouses and fields. Knowing how to find someone’s farm simply required you to know how many gravel roads to pass by, which mailboxes to notice, how long the gravel road was, and what the formation of the trees surrounding the farmhouse looked like. That was all fine and dandy when I was driving to my Continue Reading
Hope and Melodramas
I think melodramas were the impetus behind daytime soaps and reality TV. Think about it. Going back a whole lot of years, those stage plays offered what captures our attention today when we peek into the living rooms of families in “real life” situations, right? The emotional scenes, over the top situations, and characters who draw us in with facial expressions and whispers. Intense drama. A plot that doesn’t remotely seem possible. A villain. Heroine. Emotional baggage that needs to be delivered by cargo ship. We desperately long Continue Reading
Summer Storms
Life has been filled with summer sunshine, lots of laughter, and friendship connections. And, it’s also had its share of “bad weather” for people I care about. This week my heart is thinking a lot about friends who are in the middle of some tough summer storms. The kind of storms that don’t end overnight. If things are pretty stormy for you right now, please let these words encourage you. If your days have some sunshine in them, would you please share this with a friend who needs to feel seen? Who needs to remember God’s promise Continue Reading
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