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
Hair color changes
I met a really fun and friendly lady named Dorothy at a retreat last weekend. She is enjoying life and celebrating the details! Dorothy was wearing a beautiful cobalt blue blouse. When I complimented her on it, she said, “Well, my hair color changed this month and I had to find something to match it. I usually mix different hair colors, but this month I ran out of all of them. So I just mixed what was left of everything I had. Now my hair color changes every day!” And then…she laughed. Dorothy’s joy came through every time we Continue Reading
Bring in The Girlfriends
A theme that threads through my new book, God, Girlfriends & Chocolate, is… “…If that doesn’t work? Bring in the Big Guns…Your GIRLFRIENDS.” As I was editing the book, I asked my husband Steve if “big guns” was too…I don’t know, too militaristic or too violent. We took a few minutes to think of other words that could convey the same intensity. What did he come up with? “…If that doesn’t work? Bring in the Heavy Weights!" OK. Really? I laughed so hard. (So did he.) We knew that would never work. Just had to share the Continue Reading