25 Friday May 2012
Posted in Faith, Confession / Truth in Love, Rambles and Rants
I look in the mirror for signs of aging. After all, this week I turned another year older.
I wonder if someone’s hair really can go grey overnight. You know, when they are terribly stressed or frightened. I think it’s true, but I’ll never know for sure… this is one area of vanity I’ve COMPLETELY caved into.
But its proven true—as people go through rough stuff, it often shows signs of age on them. Continue reading »
18 Friday May 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Courage, dance, Faith, Hope, Will Power
There I sit. In a large auditorium. The lights are dim and a soft instrumental version of “My Heart Will Go On” begins.
I am drawn into the performance on the stage.
And honestly, there was nothing spectacular about it. And yet it was the most moving piece of the night. Of fifty-two dance performances, this one stood out. It made my heart squeeze and contract. A lump filled my throat, and I willed tears to stay inside my eyes. Continue reading »
04 Friday May 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Begging Hands by Viktoria Susterova
Somebody, somewhere, would beg to change places with you. Continue reading »
27 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Coaching, Faith, growth, Hope, Life Coaching, Purpose
There is one simple question I pose to myself often. Especially when I feel out of sorts. Or disconnected. Or, as I often call it, “floopy.”
And in all fair disclosure, sometimes I pose the same to my clients/students. And it is this:
“What/Who am I becoming?”
(What/Who are you becoming?)
And of course this exercise means nothing, nada, zilch—unless we’re gut-wrenchingly honesty. Honesty forces me to answer from a place of uncomfortable emotions. Usually it’s those icky type of emotions that got me thinking about some self-introspection in the first place. Continue reading »
20 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Faith, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Capernaum, Christian Living, disability, Disabled, Faith, Germaphobe, Hope, Retarded
Night settled in. Walking to my car I thought, what do I have to complain about? I can feed myself—walk—talk—and I don’t wear diapers. Things I take for granted. Daily. But not tonight.
PREFACE
I love working with kids, and have been in working in junior high youth-groups upwards of five years. I’ve always considered my love of kids is amplified by the fact that I have none. Something I consider a HUGE blessing. Continue reading »
13 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Christian Living, Coaching, Faith, Hope, Life Coaching, Suffering, Trials
The text message read, “…the guys are saying he killed himself yesterday. I can’t believe it.”
I only saw this an hour later as the second text arrives, “look on the internet see if you can find anything. {name} {city} suicide last night.” Continue reading »
06 Friday Apr 2012
Posted in Coaching, Confession / Truth in Love, Rambles and Rants
Tags
Change, Christian Living, Coaching, Faith, Fear, Hope, Life Coaching, Life Purpose
I stared at the skull-n-crossbones keychain hanging off the edge of my business bag. Right next to it hung pink flipflops.
I was truly hating my job and the unappreciative coworkers. Most didn’t know that I’d been working over a year without salary. Continue reading »
30 Friday Mar 2012
Posted in Faith, Rambles and Rants
They say the best writing is unguarded.
The writing that speaks—that is worthy—is the writing of truth.
Gut wrenching, honest truth.
About love;
death;
sex;
religion;
depression;
people;
fragile hope;
hopelessly delicate faith that weaves in-and-out of unanswered questions;
and witty, wishy-washy, wavering life. 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 »
23 Monday Jan 2012
“Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes.
In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain.
The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life.”
~ Mary Manin Morrissey (inspirational speaker)
What could you let go of, even if it’s just for today…
And then try it again tomorrow. Continue reading »
16 Monday Jan 2012
Tags
Click Pic to Print Your Own Note
Dear Monday,
Thanks for having the word “mon” in you. That’s French for “mine”, in case you weren’t aware.
Oh, and Monday, it makes me think of you as “my day” - and frankly that sounds like a much more promising start of the week.
~ author unknown 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 »
