Super Bowl Sunday: the best time of year to buy a big-screen TV or football-themed paper plates. The hype behind the biggest game of the year has become its own beast. This year, the cost of one of those 30 second commercials we all love to watch will go for $7.7 million. Yikes.
Back in 1990, a seminary intern at a ... Read More
When was the last time you sat down and gave your full attention to another human being? Not checking your phone, wondering how long this conversation would last, or figuring out in your brain the next clever thing you’re going to say or advice you’re going to give.
Just sitting. Listening.
It’s a gift of kindness I know I don’t give nearly ... Read More
I love it when I sit down and the words are easy. They just flow, they don’t take too much mental energy and they don’t make me weepy when I re-read them.
These words are not going to be easy. I can tell. Because these are the words that keep coming to my mind: Forgive me.
At the beginning of the school ... Read More
I’ve mentioned before that my husband affectionately calls me Gordon Leadfoot when I drive. It’s his humorous (to him) way of combining one of his favorite musicians with my tendency to always be in a hurry.
Several speeding tickets to my name, I’ve gotten much better at obeying the law, but there are still times when I feel like my absolute ... Read More
There are certain people who come into our lives and make us better. Liz Schwarzel is one of those people. She’s a third grade teacher in Athens, Ohio. My son, Charlie had her as a teacher three years ago, and if I’m awfully lucky, Ben will have her next year. The kids affectionately call her Ms. Liz, but I get ... Read More
We were driving home from church with the kids in the backseat when I posed a question: Hey kids, what is our family’s core value?
I suppose a ship should know its destination before it sets sail, but as a 20-something, I just sort of got in the boat, had kids and hoped for the best.
My pastor preached a mighty powerful ... Read More
Some emails are just too awesome for words. Last Friday, the day my story ran about the woman who left her purse at a Tennessee airport, I got this message:
“What a very nice story about Jean Clemens losing her purse and her happy ending. You are a blessing to others by letting them know there is still goodness in ... Read More
Breaking news: Nice guys DON’T finish last. In fact, people who are kind have more success in the workplace and on the home-front! And like the common cold or that nasty flu that’s going around, kindness spreads like a virus!
Several years ago, I wrote an article for my “Kindness is Contagious” column about a documentary film ... Read More
“Mom, please don’t cheer for the Vikings.”
My seven-year-old son, Ben, was very matter of fact about his request.
In case you missed it, last night the Vikings won in an amazing last second play against the Saints.
Next week, the Vikings will play the Eagles.
Little Ben is a big Carson Wentz fan. Carson plays for the Eagles.
When the Vikings play the Eagles, ... Read More
My purse was stolen when I was in college. A few years later, it happened again. Was it my fault? Absolutely. I had been careless both times.
The grief I felt came from a sense of being personally violated, but it also stemmed from something larger. I had believed in my heart that people were good, but good people didn’t steal ... Read More
