Author: nicole

Get a Daily Dose of Inspiration from Nicole each morning on Facebook! Visit www.facebook.com/nicolejphillips.

I love college football. No, that’s a lie. I love being in a stadium surrounded by all the fanfare that goes with college football. The actual game, I could take or leave.

There are lots of opportunities to cheer on your favorite team today. The ... Read More


Acts of kindness are often like little miracles that appear just when you don’t know where to turn or what to do next.

I’d like to share with you several inspirational stories I’ve received from people who are so grateful kindness is contagious.

 

“I had left my daughter’s home in Wisconsin and was driving back to North Dakota. I stopped at a ... Read More


I recently received an email that immediately took my heart back to this time last year. School had just started, and my family was all caught up in the fun of anticipating a season of changes.

One of the changes we hadn’t anticipated was the loss of the smallest, furriest member of our family. Robby Dog was a 12-year-old Shih Tzu, ... Read More


On Monday, my husband and I will celebrate our anniversary. The fact that we’ve been married for 13 years kind of blows me away.

In my mind, I’m still 28, so that would mean I got married when I was 15. Can you see how the math plays tricks on me?

When I married my husband, I adored him. I was in ... Read More


I grew up in a little town in Wisconsin that I remember being filled with kind people and a sense of security.

But for some reason, the kids in my town, including me, couldn’t wait to get out. We would dream of the day we could move to Chicago or Minneapolis or somewhere just far enough away to be able to ... Read More


I feel worn out. Part of the problem is that I’ve just driven 10 hours in a minivan with three small children and one large dog. The other part of the problem is that I’ve been thinking too much.

My family spent the last two weeks in Wisconsin visiting “The Cousins.”

My kids adore their cousins. My sister-in-law, brother-in-law and their three ... Read More


I get a lot of credit that I simply don’t deserve. People approach me at church or the grocery store and say they love reading my column.

But the truth is, it’s not my column. It’s the community’s column. If people didn’t share their stories of kindness with me, I would have nothing to write.

Sure, I could get by for a ... Read More


When I was pregnant with my first child, I felt like I had invented pregnancy. I was sure that no other woman could have possibly experienced all of the physical tweaks and emotional peaks that I was feeling.

I had happy hormones rushing through my system, knowing that I was capable of helping to create life.

Throughout the entire process, though, I ... Read More


I’ve been trying to become a person of purpose. I want to know why I’m doing the things I’m doing.

I take a shower because I went running and I stink. I brush my teeth because I ate garlic and my family is shunning me. I put that cookie in my mouth because I’m hungry. Or I’m bored. Or I’m tired. ... Read More


The official start of the summer season is only a few weeks behind us, but according to my internal mom calendar, when the fireworks fly, it means we are awfully close to being halfway through summer.

They say time flies when you’re having fun. We must be having a blast because in 47 days, my kids will already be heading back ... Read More