Come Join Us – Hopkins, MN – February 7!

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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

The One Arm Release

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My mom fell today. She’s OK. But she fell on her face so her nose looks pretty scary. (I'm not sharing that picture!) We are grateful that her nose wasn’t broken and all other bones are where they should be. But isn’t it ironic. My sisters and nieces—we take turns staying here to take care of her. To help her remember what to do. Make decisions. And so that she doesn’t fall!! Good grief. Continue Reading

Please Give Me…

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Her cheeks were flushed and her neck was covered with the red blotches that I know all too well. Her name tag read Renee - Trainee and I think the reindeer antlers she wore on her head made her feel even more self-conscious as she tried to figure out how to enter no whip with my hot chocolate order. Oh, Jesus, please help her remember that this is just one day. Bring grace-filled people into her line this afternoon. Continue Reading

Name Calling Hurts

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Oh, the name calling. It can be so hurtful, can’t it? The words that are used to remind us that we didn’t or don’t measure up… That we are too this or too that… Words that make us cringe and feel less than. Sometimes the words come from people who are living in their own messiness. But more frequently? They come from our own mouths…directed at our own selves. Thoughts…whispers…mutterings. Continue Reading

A Cleanse That Works

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I should have thought it through a bit more. I guess they’re right (whoever “they” are)… Hindsight is 20/20. I had decided to do a cleanse. You know, one of those eat vegetables and make juices so all your insides get refreshed kind of cleanses. So I hauled 35 pounds of carrots, celery, parsley, cukes, and other green produce into our kitchen. Well, it wasn’t really 35 pounds…but it was a lot.  A whole lot. And I began to get excited about the 35 pounds I would lose in exchange over the weekend. {Yes, my home address is Continue Reading

Peter Gives Me Hope

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There are some days and weeks when I’m more grateful than usual that God doesn’t expect me to be perfect to receive His love. Remembering that I don’t have to have it all together before He can use me to encourage, or support, or walk with my friends through life’s frustrations. He expects me to show up as I am – and He meets me. And then He shows me how to love others in his perfect way. Peter is the guy that makes me smile when I think about this. You gotta’ love him. He’s one of the 12 people Jesus chose to be in his inner Continue Reading

Hallmark Specials and the Red Sea Miracle

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I haven’t decided yet… About what I think about the December Hallmark TV specials. On one hand… I am so glad they are over. I mean, really. The always-happy endings, the women who cry without mascara stains and puffy eyes, and the everyone-is-nice-and-skinny just don’t connect with my reality. And on the other hand… The stories just make you feel good, don’t they? A little hope mixed in with escape TV. Storyline:  Someone experiences a loss...sadness...misunderstanding...and then someone (he's usually very handsome and kind) Continue Reading

Into the Messiness…Peace

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There was nothing real fancy about the place of Jesus’ birth. Stables have rarely been voted “Cleanest place in the world to have a baby.”  There was the smell of wet, dirty straw.  Snorting cattle and braying donkeys.  No pillow with the little chocolate mint on top.  And you have to believe that Mary and Joseph would have loved a good, hot shower after a dusty, dirty road trip. It all seems rather messy, doesn’t it? It was into this messiness that Jesus came. Overnights in stables may not be part of our lives.  But messiness Continue Reading

The Empty Chair…God Knows It

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It could be the hardly-seen neighbor across the street. Or the silver-haired lady in the pew in front of you. Or the friend who seems a bit more withdrawn. Or maybe… It’s You. Someone who is missing…someone. The holidays bring laughter, joy, and spirit-filled carols. And… They bring reminders that there is an empty chair. Someone is missing that should be with you. Maybe it’s your Dad... whose laughter always filled the room and he’s now singing with the angels. Or the grandchild who is trying to find her way… and Continue Reading

Everyone Has Something

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Hello, God. It’s Gaye. I’m here with some of My Friends… Our little community that gathers once a week to encourage each other. When you look inside our homes and our hearts, You see that we’re a group of good people, Trying to do life well even when life gets hard. Each of us has struggles…because… Everyone has something. Hurtful words and resentment occupy space in some of our kitchens. Children make choices that break our hearts. Too many sleepless nights make us bleary and teary. And sickness too frequently steals Continue Reading

Count the Stars

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Hi there. This is a message for you… Yeah, you. God is A Really Big God. The days seem really long sometimes, don’t they? And the nights?  Endless. Ever feel like you just want the world to stop… just for a few hours so you can catch your breath? Or maybe just run away? And yet, the bills multiply… the sickness has turned a temporary visit into long-term residency… and people still want more of you. Your time. Your attention. Your energy. Your life. Children demand. Parents forget. Co-workers…well, they can Continue Reading

White Legs…My Constant

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It’s that season… The one that comes every year when the snow is gone in Minnesota. The Season of White Legs. I haven’t gotten around to creating a bucket list yet. But if I had one, you can bet “tan legs” would be on mine. Every year I hope…wish…dream…and wonder if a miracle will surprise me and pigment will show up in my legs. Hasn’t happened in a real long time. Even when a farmer’s tan appears on my arms and face… My legs stay white.   Pure white. Not even egg shell white. White legs are a constant in my Continue Reading

Caring…Letting Go…Freedom

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You know that little ache in your heart? It doesn’t need to stay there. You know that tear drop (or tear bucket) that has landed on your cheek? It can be wiped away. You know that anxiety that grips your soul like a vise? It can loosen. It is OK to let God take care of the little hurts AND the big hurts. It is OK to let go. I know. Sometimes we believe that if we stop worrying and stop struggling with the tough issues, we’re abandoning those people we care about…those people experiencing the pain and struggles. But you Continue Reading

Playing Piano in the Majors and Minors

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Playing piano. After Faith, Family, and Friends… It’s What Matters Most to me. (Yeah, it’s even more important than chocolate.) Tickling the ivories – or sometimes pounding on the ivories (!) – brings voice to my thoughts and emotions.  When playing piano, I am transformed to another place…especially when playing in worship. It’s as if God is sitting right with me on the piano bench. My #1 most fun experience playing the piano was back some years ago.  I got to tour with Doug and Donna Fagerstrom and a group from Wooddale Continue Reading

Living the “So What?”

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Living through the “So what?” of Easter… When the road seems too long, with not enough rest stops… When it’s been a long time since we’ve taken a trip out of the valley… When it just doesn’t seem practical to keep the joy… How about if we take our eyes off the situation and laser-focus them on the Risen Christ? We have sung the majestic hymns. We have jubilantly exclaimed, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” We have acknowledged Him as King of Kings. Now let’s live it. Let’s live it because we actually believe it. It Continue Reading

Child-Gated No More

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From the pen of my friend and former classmate at Bethany College of Missions, James Nickel (shared with permission)… My fourteen month-old grandson has just learned to use his legs. With unsteady steps and a few falls, he has learned to explore the rooms of our home. After experiencing this freedom, he shakes his head indicating an emphatic “no” when placed in a room where the doorways are “child gated.” This afternoon, I led him outdoors to our gate-free front yard. I opened the door of my office. Then, the screen door. With Continue Reading

You Have Been Picked

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It starts in those early years when friends are made and teams are formed. The fear of not being picked. The awareness that someone has the power and influence to suggest “You don’t measure up” puts a knot in our stomach even as we’re learning to read from the Dick and Jane books and tie our own shoes. Kick-ball teams Birthday parties Advanced classes The fear takes on a life of its own as we move through those years when so much of how we think of ourselves is determined by someone else. Competitions Friendships Sports Continue Reading

The Big Hand and the Little Hand

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The hands of the clock move… Ohhhh…so very slowly. The seconds seem like minutes…minutes seem like hours. And it takes forever to make it one time around the face. Time all but stands still while you wait. Wait for time - this season - to pass. …A job that is unfulfilling and unbearable. …A home filled with tension and angry words. …A sadness so deep it makes your heart raw. …A life transition that just never seems to end. You watch the clock… Wishing the big hand and the little hand would spin furiously rather than Continue Reading

Loved by One Who Has More

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God wants to bless you. He wants to give you exactly what you need. He wants to see your heart overflowing with joy. He really, really does. God is a Giver.  And His resources can never run out.  Isn’t that so good to know? He will never run out of patience with us.  His love for us knows NO boundaries.  No burdens are too great, no problems are too small for Him. His giving never ends. He. Is. God. I’ve been re-reading Bruce Wilkinson’s book, Beyond Jabez.  (Love this book!)  He reminded me this morning of Exodus Continue Reading

The Life I Planned

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I have a new favorite book. Things Pondered: A Collection of Poetry and Vignettes by Beth Moore (2004). When I get a new favorite book, I create time and space to savor it. No starting to read it in the car on the way home from Barnes & Noble. No skimming. I want to create a moment in my favorite reading chair that lets me lose myself in the pages. No distractions. Only my book, my lap pillow, my notebook and pen, my highlighter, and my Diet Pepsi. This is a perfect moment. So getting back to my new favorite Continue Reading

Joanne’s Prayer

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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

Hello, God, it’s me

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What a treat! Beth Kothe is a guest blogger today. She is also a contributing author to "God, Girlfriends, & Chocolate." I have a strange confession to make.  I am jealous of Moses.  You know, Mr. "Let My People Go," Pharaoh-intimidating plagues, 10 commandments, etc. Why am I jealous of a guy who's been dead for over 4,000 years?  Because he talked with God directly.  God told Moses in great detail how to do what He had put him on earth to do:  get the Israelites out of Egypt, establish their new culture and holy days, build the Continue Reading

Do-overs

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I love do-overs. If I don’t like what I’m writing, I hit the delete key and “do-over.” If my hair is having a bad day, my brush winds its way through and creates a “do-over.” If my chicken dish doesn’t turn out…well, that I just throw out. Wouldn’t it be freeing if we could “do-over” (or throw out!) some of those moments from our past? Stupid decisions we made. Comments shared. Hot pants worn. We can’t pretend those moments never happened.  Yet…God makes it possible for us to remove them from our slate and start fresh. I Continue Reading