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Encouragement for every season of lifeQuietly Influential Leadership
My Grandma Josephine wore her first pair of high heels when she was 13. For the rest of her life, she wore only high heels, and told me once that she thought her leg muscles had stretched to accommodate. It hurt to wear “normal” shoes, she said. Give her sparkly,...
Pee in a Cup
I was nineteen when I had my first child, John. John was quick to talk, and by the time he was two-and-a-half, he was asking “Why?” He asked questions about everything. Why do we brush our teeth? Why is the cat licking itself? Why do we have seat belts? You get the...
Perfectly Flawed
“The more we understand that our identity in Christ is continually secure and that no misstep, rejection or judgment could ever change that, the more liberated we become from the opinions of others. As the gap increases between God’s opinions and others’ opinions, we...
After the Storm
We sat in bleachers watching my dad’s softball game at fields surrounded by corn fields on the west side of Slater, Iowa. It was hot and sticky with a subtle breeze that teased of rain. I was nine years old and to me baseball was boring, but it had gotten us out of...
Ombre Dyed Blanket
If you are anything like me, chances are you work hard to keep the “front” of your house clean while you own personal bedroom is a disaster. Every time company comes over, the clutter from every other room finds its way to the top of my dresser. Normally, this doesn’t...
Seeing Treasure in Those Considered Trash
Jackie is an ordinary woman but she’s doing extraordinary things to help Russian orphan graduates. Jackie grew up in northern Minnesota, went to school for hotel management and worked in hotels and then in children’s ministry. In 2002 Jackie met her future husband,...
Life’s Just Better with Friends
We looked ridiculous. One friend ran in front of me wearing white Michael Jackson-style gloves, 12-month-old footie pajamas flung around her neck like a scarf, managing to look graceful despite her strange accoutrements. Behind me, our other friend jogged even while...
Something’s Gotta Change
“And I don’t like what they’re doing in the bathroom, Mom,” he said with a tone of strong indignation and serious concern. WHAT? I thought, as I caught my internal response before it came out of my mouth. “What are they doing in the bathroom?” I said calmly. It was...
How to Build Trust on Your Team and Survive Stress Together
Image is from bpsusf via Flickr. Every team - whether in the home, workplace, or church - experiences periods of stress, tension, and even conflict. Too often these seasons result in teams fracturing, productivity decreasing, or people leaving. Waiting until a crisis...
Navigating Relationships As A Single Mom
Our guest contributor for this article is Carol Battista, a single parent. Did you know that the Single Moms Retreat is arriving in just a couple of weeks, June 2-3, in Alexandria, MN? Find the details here. My son Douglas was born when I was 25 years old. I was not...
