Beware the Teenage Years, Or Not
It’s funny how the same circumstances can look so different when you take a moment to stroll around the perimeter of a problem. My daughter turned 13 yesterday. Well, sort of yesterday — she’s a Leap Day baby, so she only gets a birthday once every four years. Don’t feel too sorry for her. With
Week 9 Memory Verse
“I don’t know what to do. My life is too stressful. Something’s gotta give. If I quit my job, the stress will be gone, but then I can’t pay my mortgage. Everyone wants something from me. I can’t keep up.” The woman sat next to me with pleading in her eyes. She wanted me to
Well-Timed Letter Reminds Me to Look for Kindness
I went to visit my father recently. He had a stroke about 9 months ago and is now a permanent resident in an assisted living facility. He hasn’t yet regained the use of the right side of his body, so he relies heavily on my step-mom and his nurses to tend to his every need.
What to Say to Your Kids
I took a knee next to my father’s wheelchair. “Dad, I’m heading to the airport now. I’ll be back in a few months. Anything else you need to tell me?” My dad had a stroke last June and last week I was able to make my third trip back to Wisconsin to see him. Each
Week 8 Memory Verse
“God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.” Romans 2:4 (MSG) Seven years ago I stood on the edge of a major decision. I knew if I kept going the way I was going, making the decisions I was making,
Dealing with Difficult People is Easier with Kindness
Remember the old National Enquirer magazine commercials? “Inquiring minds want to know. I want to know.” I talk about the health benefits of giving and how awkward situations can be smoothed out with kindness, but the more opportunities I have to speak in public and get immediate feedback from those messages, the more I realize
Confession Time
“I have a confession to make.” I had never met the woman standing in front of me, but I could tell whatever she was about to say was serious. “When I first heard that you were going to be our speaker, I rolled my eyes. I thought, What could a former Miss Wisconsin who looks
