He was one of the happiest guys I’ve ever seen. He bounced into Culver’s Restaurant with a broad smile and eyes that said, Today is awesome! This guy ordered a sandwich and fries and the ice cream of the day. Before his order was up, he was already savoring his ice cream treat. He leaned against the counter, clearly enjoying every lick and spoonful of that Snickers Swirl. Fully engaged in the moment. He didn’t have earbuds in, but he obviously had some good tunes playing in his head! Everything about him said he knew how to enjoy Continue Reading
So Many Books. So Little Time.
It’s once again time to clear out some space. So, I’m tackling my book collection. I’m not sure what I’m clearing the space out for – to add new or other things? What would I want instead of books? I can’t imagine. However, I will concede that fewer objects in a room seem to make it easier to breathe. And move. Going through my bookshelves and piles of books on nightstands, tables, and desks has been an exercise of great consternation and frustration. I mean, really. How do you choose who gets to stay and who has to go? Sigh. Some 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
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
My Faith Journey
My faith journey has been filled with lots of joy, a whole bunch of tears, and more questions than I can count with fewer answers. Mom and dad told my sisters and me in our most littlest days that Jesus loves us. It is the most simple message…that carries such profound weight behind it. I’ve held that promise close to my heart for over 60 years. I’ve always had a strong need to follow the rules. {Well…that was probably more true in my younger years.} Following the rules has kept me out of more trouble than I could have had. But when Continue Reading
Reset and Recalculate
My energy tank was on empty and I was coasting on fumes. “Frumpy” and “worn out” were self-describing words that I heard repeatedly in my mind. Muscles ached, and neither “fresh” nor “radiant” described my complexion. I felt ... old. And then I heard an interview on the radio that sent me into a “You’ve got to be kidding me!” moment. The young woman was talking about her high school experience — 15 years earlier. She coyly said, “That was when I was young! Let’s not talk about how many years ago that was!” And then she added a Continue Reading
Unclogging Drains and Hearts
The maintenance guy running the “snake” down mom’s kitchen sink to find the clog seemed to be having a very, very bad day … again. Bless his heart. It must be so uncomfortable living in such misery. Every single time we see him, he is upset. Angry. Blaming. His world is just … miserable. You’ve probably experienced the same consistently-bad-mood attitudes in your world. It shows up in so many ways, doesn’t it? 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 Continue Reading
Getting to Know More About You
The notes capture the moment that was going to change my heart and my forever. They're the words I scribbled on a scrap of paper during my first phone conversation with Steve on July 18, 1989. I sat on the couch in the apartment I shared with my sister, Lori, with the big phone on the floor next to me. Steve told me about himself - his love for philosophy (existentialism and Kierkegaard - I had no idea what he was talking about); he was reading The Russia House (I went out and bought a copy that night); he loved baseball (I knew my Continue Reading
Ending My 3D Bus Ride
Oh, yes. I love the promises that tell us that life will be good—that there is hope—and that a joy-filled life can be ours. Verses from the Good Book like John 10:10 lift my spirits and refresh my soul … "...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." And then... Whaaat? Hold the phone! Really? Are you sure? I don't think so! That can't be right. My messy reality is riding a different bus than the one traveling on full life avenue! Discouragement. Disappointment. Discontentment. I'm on the 3D bus that isn't Continue Reading