20 Friday Jan 2012
My friend owned a day-spa. Seriously, this is a great friend to have. I was her guinea-pig when it came to new techniques and treatments (for free no less).
In the treatment room hung a poster: Ten Rules of Brushing. I’ve stared at that sign during facial masks, body wraps, and yes…while being waxed (something to take my mind off the pain). Reading this sign often, seeded it’s wisdom in my brain—which became a routine.
Not that it matters but some of the rules were: Continue reading »
13 Friday Jan 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith
The sound of an out-of-tune guitar strummed by an obnoxious four-year old jolts me.
It’s the feedback sound from my new computer, notifying me that I’ve done something wrong. In my opinion, I’m hearing this noise too often.
First a little history. About 30-days ago, Continue reading »
06 Friday Jan 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith
“The man who threw the rock was ‘remorseful’ and fully cooperative,” said a report from the Sherriff’s office.
I still remember these words from many years ago. I was caught in a horrific-yet-thankful feeling of “that could have been me…” Continue reading »
16 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Noteworthy Days, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Abnormal, Christian Living, Christmas, Coaching, Faith, Hope, Life Coaching
The icebreaker topic “what are your traditions/what are you doing for Christmas Eve and Day?” felt like ice in my veins. I told myself to buck-up and get my happy face on so I’d be ready to breeze through my turn.
But the truth was: I did not want to talk about my Christmas, and how abnormal it would be.
Maybe I’ll lie…
As the women around the table spoke, I realized I wasn’t alone. Continue reading »
09 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
You and me. We’re not so different.
I know you’re not always a brave or cheery as you claim to be.
I know you wonder what they really think.
I know you have been looking in the mirror too long. Noticing lines, bumps, gravity.
I know you eat cookies fast, because somehow that makes it not count. I know you throw away fast-food wrappers before you get home. I know you toss out receipts and remove retail tags before anyone can see you’ve been shopping. I know you cut the size-tag off clothes when the manufacturer erroneously adds four more sizes than you know yourself to be…or puts an X by your L.
I know you laugh, when nothing is funny at all. I know you Continue reading »
02 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
I don’t like dogs. Tomatoes are gross. And I refuse to have regret.
Yup I’ve said each of these things. To which they are true.
Mostly.
Although when others hear my generalizations of likes and dislikes, I become permanently labeled with my stated partialities.
Tomatoes for example: on their own—without food companions—are disgusting. But turn those killer tomatoes into a salsa or sauce and I’m head-over-heels in taste bud heaven.
And then there are dogs…
Now if I was being really clear, I’d tell you that I’ve been chased down and attacked by German Shepherds. Not once – but twice. I have a scar on Continue reading »
25 Friday Nov 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Noteworthy Days, Rambles and Rants
They already have their Christmas lights up. Wrong. It’s just wrong.
I’m sure they are perfectly nice and lovely people. But the issue is, at the time of this writing, it’s well before Thanksgiving and they’re pushing Christmas on the neighborhood before it’s time. Maybe they are “those neighbors” who flaunt and are in some competition to be the best-est and most-est, first-est.
Infact, they probably have a fully flocked Continue reading »
18 Friday Nov 2011
Posted in Confession / Truth in Love, Humor, Noteworthy Days, Rambles and Rants
Tags
This year I’m off the hook!
For the last three years, our home has been nominated as Thanksgiving gathering spot for a group that nears 40 attendees.
I could go on-and-on about how it’s a great honor to serve my extended family (and strangers) on this special day. But just between you and me—it’s a monumental task and expense.
It’s a challenge to remain a cheer-filled host while others look (without asking) in your cupboards for sugar, corn-starch, vodka, band-aides and aspirin. It takes a special type of giving and loving person to plunge toilets for someone else’s… well you know.
Not all hosts are naturally “giving and loving” – and even if you are blessed with a giving heart, it tends to be thread-bare by the 11th hour. Either way, we continue to put on this happy host face once a year till the guest are gone.
We grin and bear it.
This year, I’m lucky Continue reading »
28 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
I have to be truthful: I hate the pink ribbon.
It’s that time of year when pink ribbons are everywhere. Women are fighting for their lives or shouting triumphs joy by beating breast cancer. The last thing I want to do is make light of their pain, or diminish an ounce of their thriving joy.
But I always been put-off by it’s cheery rah, rah, go-team, let’s fight this thing! vibe of “pink.” Maybe you think I’m waxing on snarky – but I’m not, I’m just being really honest here. And I feel validated in my view.
Why?
Because a lumpectomy resulted from my first mammogram. I’m part of the group of women bound with pink ribbons.
~~Before~~
Prior to my first appointment, Continue reading »
21 Friday Oct 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Noteworthy Days, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Coaching, Faith, Hope, Life Coaching, Marriage
“How many years have we been married?”
My husband flashes back a look that reads—you’re the wife, isn’t that your job to know these things?
But rather he replies, “Eighteen years.”
On the outside I exclaim, “Wow!” But inside my heart sighs. We’ve been through much.
We’ve known each other for over twenty years, together for nineteen, and vowed for eighteen. What amazes me, after so many years, is that I still don’t know everything there is to know about this man I buddied up with for life. And I think—know—on occasion I still shock him.
The comfortableness of our long marriage has only come because we stuck it out during the tension and struggles—when it Continue reading »
30 Friday Sep 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Humor, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Coaching, Cupcake, Faith, Hope, Life Coaching, Peer Pressure, Standards, Values
Just because it looks like a cupcake doesn’t mean it’s a cupcake.
(at least not to my standards)
I’ve become a cupcake connoisseur. Perhaps even a bit of a cupcake snob. I know a good cupcake when I see one… and I can spot an imposter in three seconds.
There are so many things to know about cupcake connoisseur-ism. I won’t go into much detail here – but it’s really about the frosting—the quality and texture and taste—and the interaction with the cake—and everything going on inside the paper-wrapper. It’s a fine balance my well-trained palette knows.
I’ve eaten a lot of cupcakes to get me to where I am. Sometimes in the trenches of my training Continue reading »
16 Friday Sep 2011
Posted in Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Humor, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Humor, Christianese, Christianity, Church Rules, Cursing, Faith, Humor, Religion, Swearing
As you move along in your Christian walk, there are words you are expected to use… and some that you are to remove all together.
The obvious words to be removed are the very ones used by the “sailors.” Preface: “I’m sorry” to all the sailors, I’m certain not all of you have a “sailors mouth.” At-any-rate, the words to omit are Continue reading »
02 Friday Sep 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
In a world of uncertainty, there are times it’s good to write down what you know…
I’ve done this before, but it’s been a while. And right now with so much going on in my life (building my non-profit createHEART and completing my Masters in Life Coaching - I’ll be done in Sept!!!) my brain is mooshie and thinks short little sentence statements. So writing like this is a best I’ve got this week.
Here’s what I know right now:
19 Friday Aug 2011
Tags
Beheld, Faith, Life Purpose, Music Video, Poem, Self Image, Spirituality, Video
Dear You,
Did you come
to read another
piece of me
today?
Well today,
instead,
I want you to read a piece
that might speak of you…
Listen, please…
it’s important. Continue reading »
12 Friday Aug 2011
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Rambles and Rants
Tags
In a world of trying to obtain the perfect this, that, and the other—we could all do well to understand Voltaire’s wisdom in such a simple concept:
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
Easier said than done.
I admit, I’m a perfectionist. I’m an “excellent-a-tariane”. If something is worth being done, it’s worth being done right. If one volunteers for something, then one does it without fail. If having guests for dinner, it will be Martha Stewart perfect. When writing a post, it should be well-edited. There is no such thing as over rehearsing for a piano solo. And the list goes on and on.
It’s kinda exhausting.
All those rules. Continue reading »
