17 Friday Feb 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
“When you’re a baby, you are God-like.” These—the words from a well-known Episcopalian priest. For some, those words are shocking. Maybe edging heresy. But for me, it was like new flavor of double-creamed-ice-cream.
Cool. Refreshing. Thick. Delicious.
Melting inside and making me…happy.
His words made my mind wander. Wander with me for a moment… Continue reading »
10 Friday Feb 2012
Posted in Coaching, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Christianity, Coaching, Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World
Today’s post is a bit different. It’s a collection of wisdom taken from a book that took me f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to read. It’s title: ”The Greatest Salesman in the World” by Og Mandino. (if you have time, listen to Og’s story here, you may relate)
The book came into my hands during some years when I didn’t follow Jesus too closely. In fact, I mostly treated Him like a mere acquaintance. I knew Him, we grew up together. But when I moved away to college, we became distant–and never talked. I was busy with all my other fun spiritual guru friends. Continue reading »
03 Friday Feb 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Christianity, Coaching, Faith, Hope, Inspiration, shame
Shem your shame sounds like some new slang. (wait that whole thing rhymes…I’m a poet and didn’t know it).
Actually Shem and Shame have a lot to do with each other. You’ll see why in a minute. One word is Hebrew, the other English. Bet you’re excited for a Hebrew lesson today, right? Okay, hold tight this will come together quickly—I promise.
SHEM –> שֵׁם
Shem is Hebrew. In its script form, it looks like a crown. It’s pronounced Continue reading »
27 Friday Jan 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Christianity, Coaching, Faith, Hope, Inspiration
Sitting in a group with others, my mind is completely distracted with
“Eleven. Do it.”
Ugh, the voices are back. Now is NOT the time.
Actually, it’s not a voice but a thought out of nowhere. Completely left field. Like a spark of light. Like seeing a mouse run by, when there should be no mice. It causes a double-triple take as you think, ”what the?…is that what I thought it was?” And you know you will not see the mouse again… at least not during this moment. Continue reading »
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 »
30 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in Coaching, Faith, Music / Story Videos, Noteworthy Days, Rambles and Rants
My husband says, “Weeds again?” as I toss a baby lettuce and field-greens salad.
A little perturbed, but I smile looking into the bowl.
He’s right. These ARE weeds. Someone has masterfully packaged things that I’d otherwise yank from the earth with my purple gloved hands and toss into the yard-bin. Now I toss them—bare handed—with a yummy honey-lemon-poppyseed dressing.
Still smiling I’m thinking—who does this stuff? Who thought to package these—weeds. Genius.
And who thought of eating Continue reading »
23 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in Faith, Music / Story Videos, Noteworthy Days, Rambles and Rants
Grandma stared off in the distance— maybe a sea and lifetime away—as the voices of a dozen Mennonite children angelically sang, “…stille nacht, heilige nacht…” an old German song.
I was one of those children.
Being Mennonite typically translates to an innate musical ability. And since presumably all Mennonites can hold a tune, being in this choir was an honor. But I didn’t know that—this choir was just something “we did.” And I had a crush on Brent Dyke, a cute boy and choir member. So I gladly showed up and learned to sing in German—the routine, and way to pay homage to my Mennonite German(Prussia) heritage.
Actually, eighteenth century (and back) Mennonite’s spoke low-German—a fading and nearly lost language. My grandparents taught 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 »
11 Friday Nov 2011
Posted in Coaching, Faith, Humor, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Humor, Christian Living, Christianity, Faith, Hope, Isaac, Life Coaching, perseverance, Spirituality
It’s infuriating when someone takes claim/credit for your hard work.
Right?
You put all this time into a concept or project, only for your boss/co-worker/competitor to take all the credit—as if the idea was theirs alone.
Over lunch you casually discuss client strategies and marketing ideas with a colleague, only to discover a week later that your colleague has a new relationship with your client or is using your idea for their gain.
Your aunt brings a dish to the potluck and receives all the glory for a recipe you gave her a year ago—and like vinegar to a wound, it’s a recipe you created.
You and your sibling go in together on flowers for mom Continue reading »
04 Friday Nov 2011
Posted in Coaching, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Right now, I’m breathing air at 7,000 feet. In Abiquiu, New Mexico.
Surrounded by deep canyons, hidden away in the landscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe a mile above sea-level, is the place I call home for the week.
It is the place I return for an annual writer’s conference. It’s a place to watch the sun rise over the canyon and set into the desert plains. It’s a place to walk the labyrinth and breathe the chilling wind. It’s become a place to release intentions.
The canyon-walls, mesas, and chimney-rocks have a story to tell of years of whittling by the wind. The wind/Wind creates the beauty of this place. It’s a Wind 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 »
