Hey, hi. There’s encouragement here for YOU today. Scoot your chair up. Slip on your reading glasses. Mute the TV. I don’t want you to miss this. Discouragement can show up at the most inopportune times, can’t it? Not that there’s a good time, but has this happened to you? Life seems to be humming along, no crisis in sight, and then like a Jack-in-the-box, a frustration, lie, or sad memory jumps out in front of you. It stares right at you with its scary, dark red smile, bobbing and weaving with its arms stretched out, inviting you to Continue Reading
Are You a Wind Whipped Worrier?
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, He has the patience of a saint. I was thinking about God today, and how patient He is with me, and I used that phrase to describe Him in my mind. But then I thought, well, that doesn’t make any sense. Because He IS a saint. Or, He’s the Saint of All The Saints. But maybe I shouldn’t call Him that because it takes away His divine nature. And then I started worrying that I was really getting my doctrine all mixed up and I was losing track of where I was going with that thought process, so I just went back to Continue Reading
Be the Reason
The doctor called it transient global amnesia. I called it the day I lost a day. It’s been almost six years since amnesia briefly swept through my brain. (It occurred just after exercising at the YMCA, and I truly believe it was God’s way of telling me never to do another burpee.) I wrote a short post about it a few years ago, and I wrote a longer, more thoughtful reflection on it in Getting My Ducks in a Row and Other Stories of Faith. The life-changing take-away for me? Life is good and life is short. Let’s not miss a moment of Continue Reading
The Ball’s in Your Court
I am not an athlete. As much as I would love to have the long legs, expansive arm reach, or muscle endurance that describes many who are proficient in a form of physical exercise, I am short with jiggly thighs and limited upper body strength. But I’ve always loved sports. Watching them. From the benches. Or from the cheerleading sideline. Especially from the cheerleading sideline. (Of course, I’m going back to the days when cheerleaders did not need to do the splits or stand on one leg in the palm of someone’s hand six feet up in the Continue Reading
Permission to Perch
“Oh! The places you’ll go! You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.” * Words like that should be printed in multiple colors and fancy fonts with lots of loops, right? Dr. Seuss certainly knew how to use phrases to invite and encourage us to move forward. He was writing prompts for entering the new year that are more stimulating than most memes! (As a side note, his frequent use of exclamation points is one of the reasons he’s a favorite of mine.) And … Some of us may Continue Reading
It’s a Great Day for a Fresh Start
Girlfriend. Let’s talk. Your life? It’s a big deal. Your age? Yes, the numbers are moving up. That tiny voice somewhere in the back of your head that’s telling you it might be too late? Stop listening to it. It’s never too late to live a rich and full and joy-filled life. We can choose how we want to live, right? Feeling tired and frumpy and settling in there because it’s comfortable usually takes us to the pity party. (Don’t go there. It’s not much fun. The food will give you a stomach ache, the company is boring, there aren’t Continue Reading
Getting My Ducks in a Row … Or Not
Good grief. If I had a milk chocolate-covered caramel for every time I’ve tried to get my act together … well, I’d be enjoying a lavish consumption of chocolate. And my stomach would be upset. And my act would not be together. We work hard at it though, right? Trying to find some level of order and calm in the chaos and overwhelm by fixing, directing, and controlling. Intensely trying to set the perfect habits that will change our lives. Setting up work and home and people systems so everything and everyone functions like clockwork. Continue Reading
Set the Temperature
You don’t need anyone to tell you that it’s a bit chilly across our country these days, right? The ice, the snow, and the wind chill are so “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Up here in tundra land (AKA Minnesota), it’s … well, it’s ooftah. Thinking about warmth (or the lack of it) and the temperature in our homes reminds me about living with mom. (Truth be told, there are a whole bunch of moments that remind me of mom.) I wrote this little note a couple years ago and decided to share it again this week. It’s reminding me to stop and ask Continue Reading
The Unmet Expectation Creep
I really try and focus on JOY and HOPE. Because life is good, and God is faithful. But sometimes, I get swallowed up in the creep. The creep of unmet expectations. They showed up with great fanfare about a month ago. Ugh. Maybe you can relate to moments like this? … We have plans, but someone else changes them. (Our plan is to get home by a certain time, but someone else is late, delayed, or changes their plans.) Our hopes are high and then they hit the ground hard. (Thanksgiving family get-togethers? Gathering with friends Continue Reading
My New Book is Available!
Hello, friend! This is such an exciting day … “Getting My Ducks in a Row and Other Stories of Faith” is hot off the press and available to you! My heart is sending up balloons and confetti and my stomach is doing a lot of flip flops which is stirring up all the butterflies, because, you know, it’s a little scary putting your words out into the world. But I gotta’ tell you … I’m really excited about this book. You will laugh, nod your head as you recognize yourself in some of my life moments, and you will experience a refreshing Continue Reading
Our Lifejacket and Anchor
Our weekend sailing trip started with blue skies, white fluffy clouds, and a whole lot of sunshine. Nothing signaled that a storm was just around the bend. Until it hit. I thought the thick, low-hanging, midnight-black clouds would reach down and wrap us in darkness. The wind tipped our little sailboat precariously onto its side. The icy rain came at us sideways; it felt like shards of glass on our faces. Once we were able to get the sails down, our captain yelled only one command: “Just hang on!” You bet we did. I’ve never been Continue Reading
Kindness is My Responsibility
Hi, friend. I’m writing this the weekend before the Tuesday elections. When you read this, we may know who our President is for the next four years. And perhaps we are still waiting to find out. Whatever our situation is … Kindness is our responsibility. Yours and mine. Some are excited about the next four years and are celebrating. Some are worried about the next four years and are grieving. Kindness is our responsibility. How about this … Lord, help me to guard my tongue. Remind me that boasting and gloating in Continue Reading
My Words and Calvary Love
Do you find this to be true too? It is almost impossible to refrain from complaining when I am doing burpees. Or any other form of exercise that requires me to jump up and down, do a push-up, and shoot my legs back, all within three seconds. When I worked out with my friend Jody at the Y, I typically made sure she knew how I felt about burpees and any other exercises that were hard work. Ugh! Nooo. I can’t! That many more? Whine, whine, whine, and then we’d laugh. But I always explained to her, “I’m not complaining, just informing.” Continue Reading
Write a Fabulous Ending
Wouldn’t it be cool if we each had a ghost writer writing our life story? If all we had to do was wake up and follow the script that was written for us? It would be an ideal day script filled with only happy scenes that tell 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 Continue Reading
Never Too Late
Have you had that kind of moment when your brain and your heart and your soul all join together to get your attention shouting “Hey, there, Buttercup! Let’s get back on track, shall we?” Yeah. Me too. Your tension-fused emotions are driving your actions and they are making everyone around you – and you – feel like they’ve entered the Twilight Zone. Your need for comfort food has hit new proportions. The couch has become a permanent home and TV reruns are your best friends. Scrolling Facebook and Instagram are stealing precious Continue Reading
I See You
We were celebrating my nephew’s birthday. Danny was turning two. His afternoon was filled with little kids’ birthday party favorites -- cake, presents, streamers, lots of noise – attention. I realized I hadn’t seen his older brother around, so I went looking for 4-year old David. I found him sitting on the top step of the stairway, removed from the celebration, crying his little heart out. Through deep staccato sobs and a snotty nose, David explained, “It’s hard for someone like me when it’s not my birthday.” Bless him. That was over Continue Reading
When I Can’t Get it Together
If I had to choose favorite chapters from the books I’ve written, this would be one of them. It’s from “This is Livin’! Learning to Move from Messy Moments to Happy Places.” And since we’re all trying to find a new rhythm and our equilibrium, it seems so timely. Enjoy! Some refer to the occurrence as a moment of amazement that defies talent. I refer to it as the time when my sister Lori was so tired of practicing that her brain froze up. The event was the annual piano recital. Here’s a little set-up to the important performance Continue Reading
Today I Will
I’m guessing we’re all feeling a little “off” these days, right? On one hand, we want information about what’s going on with everything - the virus, the economy, our jobs, our neighborhoods, etc. And on the other hand, we just want the news to stop. It’s too much. Sigh. Thinking about what’s on my mind and heart to share here feels the same way, knowing we are all moving through this time so differently. Some of us are very afraid and anxious. There’s a deep seriousness in our souls, with no room for jokes or laughter. The Continue Reading
Sigh. And sigh again.
Sigh. Can I say it again? Sigh. Do you find yourself exhaling as you say that word? Me too. And in my head, I say it in a whisper. There are some days that I just need to sigh. Exhale. Today has been one of those days. I know you and I want to know joy. We want to feel it in our bones. We want to wrap it around our hearts. And you know? Sometimes joy doesn’t show up in the giggles or the parties or the fun times. Sometimes we find the joy in our sighs. Author Kay Warren defines Joy as “the settled assurance that God is in Continue Reading
Heaven is Cheering You On!
YAASSSS! Spring has arrived in Minnesota!The usual clues are showing up. Most noticeably, the orange traffic cones reminding us of the road construction we have to maneuver through. Parkas have been replaced with rain jackets and the icicles hanging from our roofs have melted away.Another clue is the swarm of runners. You can tell they’ve been itching to get out running without the icy roads and sleety weather. They are everywhere! Very cool.Do you enjoy running? If you do, I applaud you! I’m truly impressed. Consider yourself high-five’d. Continue Reading
Fear Not Tomorrow
It’s the fear that stops my breathing and causes a very unattractive rash to start spreading on my neck… Being caught in a storm at sea. Or on a lake. Or even a backyard pond. I have no intention of ever being in a situation where I have to whack seagulls on the head with a paddle for lunch while clinging to a strand of seaweed. Perhaps it’s past experiences that create this almost irrational fear of being lost in the middle of a body of water in a storm of It’s never been this bad proportion with the boat capsizing. …There was Continue Reading
Twisted Tights and Lenten Prayers
One of my favorite posts from a few years ago. May it speak to your heart during this Lenten season. I was out of sorts. Uncomfortable. Self-conscious. I was 13 years old, standing on the stage in a college auditorium under hot lights, along with eight other 4-H’ers from northern Minnesota. We were competing in a Good Grooming Contest. Yes, you read that correctly. A Good Grooming Contest. {Good grief. As if it’s not awkward enough to just be 13 years old.} Representing the Lucky Leaf 4-H Club (which I loved, by the way), Continue Reading
The Really Bad Day
It wasn’t pretty. Not at all. In fact, it was just plain ugly. What was ugly, you ask? Tuesday. Tuesday was ugly. Call it a bad day. A meltdown day. A day when nothing seemed to go right. Or as one of my storybook heroes, Alexander, referred to it, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” * The sad thing is, I’m not even sure what was wrong. It just seemed like everything was. (Cue “Poor Me” music here.) Nothing was wrong but everything was wrong. Nothing was right. I wasn’t right. The world wasn’t Continue Reading
Dreams and Realities
Dreams are good. And reality is … real. So, may I encourage you with this note … Our dreams matter. Those things we want to see, do, write, experience? Let’s make them come true… Even though our reality doesn’t seem to be cooperating. Last week I shared that I want to re-learn Norwegian. Tap dance. Play more piano. I’m going to enjoy making those dreams come true this year, even though my reality as a caregiver for my mom means … … Sleeping through the night, getting a restful sleep, never happens. … Plans are hard to Continue Reading
Still Dreaming — You Too?
Truth here. I love colored notebooks. The cool, smooth feel of a clean sheet of white paper (narrow-ruled, not College-ruled), ready to be filled with words and different colors of ink. The size that fits neatly on a small clipboard making it easy to have on my lap in my early morning hours. I love Planners that have calendars and lines to write on and inspirational quotes and dream spaces to fill and lots and lots of color. The ones that remind me how to be intentional and that help me live the life God has called me to live. I Continue Reading
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