The Peony Principles

by | Jun 23, 2014 | Faith

I love flowers. Each spring I wait expectantly for my perennials to bloom and for my annuals to grow. All summer long, I watch and gather hope and courage from their beauty and hardy existence. When pounding rains come, I find myself hoping that my little flowery...

Five Essential Tips to Engage Volunteers

by | Jun 19, 2014 | Leadership

Leaders resemble vessels. We have a limited capacity (yes, it is true!). Consider a ten-ounce bowl. It is impossible for it to contain eleven ounces of water. Once that bowl reaches capacity, additional water forces some to flow over the edge. The same is true of our...

My Summer Bucket List — Kids Edition

by | Jun 19, 2014 | Trends

Did you see the grown-up version of a summer bucket list I made to help me have a more intentional summer? Hopefully you got some new ideas and inspiration to write up a list that helps you get focused, too. I also wanted to make up a list of fun ideas we all might...

When You Can’t Forget What Someone Said

by | Jun 16, 2014 | Life Issues

Tracing letters on the floor with the tips of my scuffed shoes, I sat in a folding chair, my 7-year-old self waiting patiently for my parents to finish their conversations. The evening meeting at Family Camp had ended, and most people had filtered out of the building...

My Big Floral Couch

by | Jun 16, 2014 | Faith

I am a thrift store junkie. There’s something about walking the aisles of a store, not knowing what you’ll find buried within its shelves, that just speaks to the inner treasure hunter in me. Recently, I bought my most favorite treasure of all. I wasn’t looking for...