This week I have been reminded of how quickly our lives can change. The proposal…marriage! The doctor’s office…cancer. The bonus check…money! The “pink slip”…unemployment. The note from a friend…encouragement! Most of the time we don’t know what “moment” just occurred in the lives of those around us.  But we experience their reactions to what might be some pretty trying events.  The driver who cuts us off in the Fast Lane.  The grumpy sales clerk.  The co-worker who can’t find one good thing happening in the world. They may Continue Reading

“Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.” We celebrated All Saints Day recently in church. It’s one of my favorite Sundays. We hang stars in our sanctuary with the names of friends and family members who lived lives of faith and devotion during their time on earth. Grateful for the lessons they taught us. Challenged with the reminder of the task before us. The star that Steve and I hung said, “In memory of Harry Lindfors, George Nornes, Lee and Pops. In honor of JoAnn Lindfors and Joyce Nornes.” We are blessed to be Continue Reading

“Well I woke up this morning with my mind…just stayin’ on Jesus.” Yesterday…that was true. Today…not so much. My morning anxiety certainly didn't reflect the words to that wonderful hymn! It was more like... "Well, I woke up this morning with my mind...just stayin' on everything that made me blue!" How is it that we can wake up in the morning and our mind is already thinking about the tough part of the day ahead?   Deadlines, work, pounds not lost, the frustration of knowing the treadmill is calling my name, and realizing Continue Reading

I’ve got this love-hate relationship going on… …With cooking. I really don’t understand it. My cupboards are filled with cookbooks.  The desire to know how to pull together a nutritious meal is there.  My appliances are standing ready to help me out.  The recipes are easy to read.  Instructions are clear. But I go into severe panic every time I need to actually start cooking. Good grief.  It all seems so simple.  Why do I make it harder than it is? Perhaps it’s the memories… --  Pouring boiling water on my hand instead Continue Reading

“When we honestly ask which persons in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advice, solutions or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.” ~ Henri J.M. Nouwen ~ Continue Reading

I wouldn’t call myself a great swimmer.  But my childhood swimming lessons at the pool in Crookston, MN and at Lake Linka in Starbuck, MN make it possible for me to stroke, crawl, and float. I do OK as long as the water is calm.  It’s when the water gets rough and wavy that I run into trouble.  And when that happens?  I may have all the sheer determination and focus in the world—but it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to do much more than just keep my head above water.  I don’t have the knowledge, experience, or strength to meet the Continue Reading

I watched the  mother carry her young daughter down the sidewalk.  The little girl’s legs were wrapped around her mother’s waist; pink leggings and white tennis shoes dangling in complete relaxation.  Her tiny soft arms curled around her mother’s neck while her chin rested on the strong shoulder of the one who had carried her since conception. It was a picture of strength and relaxation. I want someone to carry me like that. Today it would feel good to not be responsible, to not make decisions.  I don't want to be the adult—I want Continue Reading

Sometimes I just make life too hard.  And making it too hard steals my joy.   Not a good thing. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness, crazy-ness. and messy-ness that’s part of living in the real world.  Can you relate to this? That's when I need to remember that Jesus came to give us life – a full life, a rich life, a joy-filled life!  (John 10:10) So today… Let’s look for joy. A giggle… A smile… A warm word… A thank you… A memory from the heart. “…the JOY of the Lord is your strength.”  (Nehemiah Continue Reading

It’s easy to get into a rut.  Same routine, same schedule, same activities, etc.  Same input, same results.  Of course, there are times in our lives when this is exactly what we need—when we’re recovering from an extremely stressful period, serious health issues, or emotional exhaustion, for instance. Most of the time, however, this “sameness” just creates a safe, easy, and predictable way of moving through life. But is “safe, easy, and predictable” what we really want?  Really? What if there was more.  More surprises.  More Continue Reading

We've been talking about the importance of a healthy heart…physically and spiritually... Titles frequently describe where we fit in society, on the org chart, or how valuable someone else thinks we are.  (Sad, but true.)  How about this one: “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.”  Pretty impressive, uh?  And yet, with all this wisdom, Solomon still made some pretty big mistakes.  Including his belief that he was above the law. Solomon ignored the memo God sent him.  “And you, my son Continue Reading

Just an Update… There’s an obvious gap in time since the last time I posted here!  I’m sorry about the break in the schedule.  I’ve been spending more time with my mom as she recuperates from two serious heart procedures.  Loved our time together while decreasing the hours I spent on other things.  Now she’s back on track and feeling great!   Our hearts.  We know we can’t live without them, and there are times when it’s difficult to live with them! My mom’s heart has beat funny for years.  At times it is off to the races, and Continue Reading

Call it our search for worth.  Value.  Self-esteem.  Different words, same journey.  We want to know without a doubt that we matter.  We want to be satisfied with who we are at the deepest level of our soul.  We want to be significant. Some look for significance by following the roadmap of personal success, believing that performance dictates value.  Some seek continuous affirmations from friends and colleagues, frightened by the notion that we may displease someone, believing that approval dictates value.  Still others pretend not to Continue Reading

Louise Griffith is a friend of mine in the National Speaker’s Association. We share the same perspective on our individual ability to change our stories.  She spoke at a Christian Business Women’s Fellowship lunch, sharing her story. With her permission, I am sharing her thoughts. “It’s time to honor the person you really are.  It’s time to stop pretending that you are less of a person than you are. You are more than enough! You have the resources inside you to be all you want to be. You can pursue your dreams. You can take Continue Reading

One of my favorite times of the day in grade school was right after lunch.  That was when Marlys Johnson would come into our classroom and tell us stories.  She was one of those high schoolers who was so cool—and so old.  (Ha!) As part of the school’s speech program, she would appear and hold our focused attention for about seven minutes.  Her stories were about far-away places and people we’d never met.  The characters in her stories always seemed to have such amazing lives.  Far more interesting than our own. I think about the Continue Reading

Today I’m celebrating my friend Denae’s birthday.  We’ve known each other for about 50 years.  I grew up in Climax, Minnesota, a small farming community in The Red River Valley.  Population 310.  Denae lived across the river on a farm in North Dakota. There were 28 kids in our class.  (We were the big class.)  Everyone knew everyone.  It was the best of small town living, and had its moments of the worst of small town living. One of the best gifts I’ve ever received came from Denae.  She knit me a purple scarf during a road trip with Continue Reading

It’s a big-deal weekend here in Minnesota.  Our mighty Vikings (football) are playing for the NFC Championship tomorrow!  Go Vikes! (Now if you aren’t a football fan, please hang with me…I think you’ll still enjoy this short note.) It would appear as though most Minnesotans have completely lost their minds.  Office cubicles have been decorated in purple and gold, Favre jerseys have been sighted on every street corner, faces have been painted, and even Prince (the artist formerly known as…) wrote a song for the home team.  Chips, Continue Reading

That question is my theme for 2010. Fear gets in the way of so many things, doesn’t it?  We’re afraid of failure.  Afraid that someone might get angry with us, or that we’ll disappoint them.  We worry about hurting a friend’s feelings so we don’t speak the truth.  We’re afraid of not being liked. On the business side, we’re afraid that we aren’t good enough so we don’t ask for the promotion.  We fear rejection so we don’t ask for the sale.  We don’t think we’re capable so we settle for just getting by. Well, I’m kind of done with Continue Reading