Sometimes we need a little nudge, don’t we? When I’m feeling stuck or like I’m pacing in circles (perhaps even literally pacing in circles), I just need a little oomph or push to get me back on track and stop the slow spinning. Much of the time, my pacing is because I’m wondering about something in front of me. I’m trying to make decisions, but I don’t have all the information I need, or the significance of any of my choices loom large and I don’t want to mess it up. Wishing I had the complete action steps laid out in a 3-ring binder 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
Life Updates
This week’s note is a little different. I’m sharing some quick thoughts from my Morning Time, a few life updates, and letting you know I’m writing a new book! Thank you for being here. Have you had the type of morning when you just can’t seem to get settled? I absolutely love sitting in my blue chair looking out my window just after the sun comes up, opening up my study books and Bible with great anticipation of talking with God. But this morning? Everything felt ... off. Distractions came waaayy too easily. I felt like crying but Continue Reading
Find the Fun!
You know that fun thing you’ve always wanted to try? Go and do it. You know that fun thing you used to do before you got “too busy” or “too old?” Go and do it again. Maybe it’s time to stop waiting for the perfect time to do that fun dream. That one that has lived so quietly inside a corner of your heart for too long. Maybe it’s time to let go of the excuses. Maybe it’s time to move through your fear. Maybe it’s time to stop worrying about what people might think. Maybe it’s time to let go of doing it perfectly … or Continue Reading
Cheese and Pickle Sandwiches
Some days it feels like I’ve sat down at a summer picnic, enjoying a juicy cheeseburger with ketchup and onion and relish, paired up with Ruffle chips, sweet potato salad, Bread & Butter pickles, and tangy baked beans. Everything feels perfect. Other days, it feels like the heavens opened and life offered a spectacular treat—bubbly Hawaiian pizza and Special-K bars made with just the right amount of chocolate chips. Life is exceptionally tasty. Dreamy. True bliss. And of course, there are those days that feel like I’m staring at 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
A Fresh Start
I love fresh starts. If I don’t like what I’m writing, I hit the delete key and start again. If my hair is having a bad day, my comb winds its way through and I start again. If my hamburger dish doesn’t turn out…well, I just throw that out. The thing about fresh starts is this … At some point, we have to change our response to what’s cringing, disappointing, or frustrating before we can start again. Right? Continuing to stay with what’s not working, staying in the messy, doesn’t get us to a better place. And making that change, Continue Reading
Pack the Lunch
“If only I knew what was going to happen next…” “It’s hard to plan when I don’t know what work or life is going to look like…” “The disagreements on what’s the right thing to do are making my head spin…” I bet you’ve heard some of these comments lately, as we all try and figure out what we believe is best for our families and communities. Even without a global pandemic taking away so much of what we know and love, it’s easy to struggle when we’ve lost control of things that matter to us. I’m learning … Here are three things we can Continue Reading
Clothes and Shoes and Wandering
Shopping for clothes is not my happy place. When I walk into TJ Max, I start to get a headache. Then I start breathing funny. When the rash on my neck starts, I know I need to find the nearest bookstore. If the clothing is brightly colored and it fits? I’ll take it. If the shoes are flat and they don’t pinch my toes? I’ll take them. Thank heavens my sister, Julie, has a great sense of style, loves to shop, and tells me when my “look” needs a bit freshening up. (It was a sad day when she told me my favorite blue sweater just shouldn’t be 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
Peter is My Favorite
You know who one of my favorite Bible people is? Peter. You gotta’ love him. He’s one of the 12 people Jesus chose to live and travel and work with as part of his inner circle – his disciples – his world-changers. Pretty cool group to be a part of, right? Peter. He was so passionate. Expressive. Emotional. Not perfect. Not proper. Not the pretty box tied up with a pretty bow who has it all figured out. Just think about this for a moment … that very first Easter weekend … Peter uses his sword to cut off the right ear of Continue Reading
Whatever We Need
I had one pet growing up. It was a pig. His name was George. And may I just say, it delighted my father a whole bunch. For my dad, who lived and breathed farming, teaching, FFA (Future Farmers of America), and all things fields and farm animals, he was most definitely in his happy place when he was teaching us about raising pigs. My sister, Julie, had a pig too. I don’t remember his name. Showing my pig was part of my 4-H experience. (In case you are more city girl than farm girl, “showing my pig” means I would haul it in the back of 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
My Mom
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). This verse was mom’s favorite, and we have repeated it over and over and over again during the last month. Last Friday, my mom died. It was a peaceful home-going without any pain. Mom’s heart has been getting weaker over the last few months, and three weeks ago we brought hospice care into her home. That care was so helpful and loving, and my sisters Julie and Lori and 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
Open It!
I love football. Especially the Minnesota Vikings. And Peyton Manning. And Scottie Benedict. Scottie is my favorite youngest nephew and will always be my favorite athlete (QB) and even though neither he nor Peyton play football anymore, they are my favorites. Yes, I love football. Steve and I watched the Vikings-Packers game a few weeks ago. (Ooftah.) In the first few minutes of the game, the Packers fumbled, and we were instantly yards away from potentially scoring a touchdown. Steve said to anyone on the Vikings team who was listening Continue Reading
Let’s Go See!
This is one of my favorite essays. I never get tired of re-sharing it … I wonder how it felt to be a shepherd that holy night thousands of years ago. The night an angel appeared to them as they leaned on their walking sticks, checking their sling shots, while standing in sheep doo-doo. We have to believe that when “the glory of the Lord shone around them,” things got pretty bright, right? Can’t you just see them squinting, shading their eyes, while trying to figure out what they were protecting their sheep from? Shaking like crazy in Continue Reading
Brightener or Bummer?
So I’m at mom’s, and I realize that my hands always look dusty. Like I’ve swirled them around in a little dirt. Then I notice that there is a light gray film over the tray table that holds my work files. And the white garbage can is displaying swirls of gray. I put on my Nancy Drew hat and pull out my magnifying glass. We have gray. On a lot of stuff in the apartment. No room is spared. Go figure! Fast forward a few hours to 2:00 a.m. I’m up with mom and I start Googling. Long scrolling made short, I discover that it might be from the Continue Reading
One Thing Is Essential
Well, it’s that time of the year. We’re either extremely overwhelmed with the to-do lists, the shopping, the shoveling (Hello! We live in Minnesota!), the commitments, the coughs, and all the stuff… OR… We are talking about being overwhelmed with the to-do lists, the shopping, the shopping, the commitments, the coughs, and all the stuff. You think we would have learned last year, right? We can’t do everything. Not everything needs to be done. Most of us aren’t going to completely ignore all the things that make Christmas Continue Reading
Leave This Guest At Home
It’s the guest many of us bring to Thanksgiving dinner. The guest that can turn a beautiful get-together into frustrations and silent tears and sour attitudes. Expectations. Yup. Expectations. The guest we invite that all too often lets us down. We want the Norman Rockwell feast around the table with everyone using kind words. Everyone on time and helping. And our football team wins. But… The rolls get burned. The turkey is dry. Cousin Bobby sulks. Aunt Mary speaks harsh zingers. Half the group eats, burps, and heads for the Continue Reading
Tim McGraw and Commitment
As I’m listening to the podcast, I say to myself out loud … “Who does that?!” And then I respond (to myself) … “Tim McGraw does.” Country music superstar Tim McGraw was being interviewed about his book that just came out, “Grit and Grace.” Y’all, get this. (I used the word “y’all” because Tim is country and it just seemed appropriate to sound like I knew a bit about southern stuff.) Anyway … When he’s on tour, they have a semi trailer that hauls only their workout equipment. A semi load of things to use when exercising! I get Continue Reading
Grain dust, Grasshoppers, and God
It is still my least favorite job in the history of the whole world. Standing in the back of dad’s 2-ton red truck during harvest, shoveling the grain down into the corners of the truck as fast as I could as it poured from our John Deere combine’s auger. It always seemed like it was 134˚ on those days. With no shade. And did I mention the crickets? Those horrible little creatures joined the ugly old grasshoppers and took up considerable space in the back of that truck. And on me.They landed EVERYWHERE. No body part or piece of Continue Reading
Enjoy Where You Are
The encouragement phrases like, “Live in the moment” and “Be fully present” can be a bit … uncomfortable sometimes. Perhaps even annoying. Right? But there is truth in them for sure. There is power in those statements. I share them with friends and groups. They are little lights along our path that lead us to living a full, rich life. I’m a fan. Here’s the deal … Showing up fully present, paying attention to the people and activity around me? It makes me a better person. A more alive person. A more grateful person. But I admit Continue Reading
Purple Hot Pants
School Carnival. Climax, Minnesota. 1973. It was an annual event where a king and queen were crowned, teachers got soaked in the dunk-‘em booth, cheap game prizes were won in the gym, and the cake walk was celebrated in the cafeteria. I wore a purple hot pants outfit. With a purple headband. And purple tights. The outfit was…purple. Good grief. Whatever was I thinking. Back then, I felt like royalty. Royalty wearing purple. The look made me feel beautiful…even a little trim. Now, it’s one of those memories that makes me Continue Reading
Thermostat or Thermometer?
Last week I wrote a little note about grumbling. As in, we aren’t to do it. Here’s a follow-up thought. My sisters and I are very grateful that we can stay with mom as caregivers, walking this Alzheimer’s journey with her. AND … some of my best grumbling (which is actually my worst grumbling, if you know what I mean) takes place in her apartment. You see, mom likes it warm in her apartment. Very warm. Like in 80˚ warm. In the middle of summer. Have mercy. We set the thermostat lower, but she gets so cold that she shivers. Continue Reading
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