God is not a finger pointing God. He is an open arms God. It’s easy to get caught up in the “should-haves,” isn’t it? “I should have tried harder… Should have spent more time with family… Should have saved more money… Should have been kinder… Should have taken better care of myself…” Ugh. These should haves usually send us down a slippery water slide into a pool of regrets and sadness. And the more time we dwell on what we think we should have done, or wished we would have done differently, the deeper we plunge into the deep 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
Let’s Go See What They’re
Talking About!
The “Pickles” cartoon in Sunday’s Star Tribune made me laugh out loud. The creator, Brian Crane, always brings the joy! Earl and Pearl are an elderly couple having this conversation: Pearl: Anything good in the mail? Earl: Just a Christmas newsletter from the Hansens. Why don’t we ever send out a Christmas newsletter? Pearl: The only reason to do a Christmas newsletter is to brag about the things you did during the year. What have we done worth bragging about? Earl: What about those warts you had removed? It just makes you 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
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
Lives That Mold Us
I’ve been talking to the TV. Good grief. Typically, my one-sided conversations are in response to … … politicians who are yelling at me – telling me what to believe. … the cable news shows on-air talent sitting on couches telling me how I am supposed to think. … advertisers who spend more time telling me about their drug’s side effects than the help it might offer. I’m just tired of people yelling. People who don’t know me, telling me what to believe, think, and do. You too? Although my little sarcastic comments and Continue Reading