Posted on April 6, 2012
The weird way God uses us
Today I am in the middle of problems—people problems and practical problems. Even worse, I feel alone in handling them. I can't think of someone it would be appropriate to call and unburden on. Sadness and fear nibble at the edges of my heart, gaining ground. I recall Psalm 33—my favorite set of verses in scripture. The Psalmist declares that the earth is full of the unfailing love of God, God's plans for the world “stand firm forever” and God sees us. The Psalm ends with...
Posted on March 21, 2012
Four (4) Reasons to keep your dying Dream alive
You have or had a dream. It shone brightly. You shared it with a friend. She thought it was a great idea and said she’d like to join you. The dream gave you joy and hope. But it fizzled. Your ideas met with roadblocks. No one else is interested anymore. The whole thing seems stupid…like a waste of time. Your heart has sunk—and the dream with it. Wait! Find one more step to take to keep the dream alive and take it. Here are four (4) reasons why...
Posted on March 10, 2012
10 Questions for identifying your Core Gift
Your Core Gift is an insight wrapped in talent and shared with others. Here are 10 questions for clarifying yours: 1. When have others noticed and expressed admiration or appreciation for something you said, did, or created? Think back—kindergarten to now. What did you do that was acknowledged? 2. What do you love? 3. What do you hate? 4. When are you the happiest / most fulfilled? 5. What would you eliminate from your life if you could?
Posted on February 29, 2012
“I can’t.” What I’m really saying. Moving to “I can.”
When I say: "I can't; It'll never happen; It is what it is; They never_____(approve, allow, change their minds...); They always_____(do it this way, you can count on this institution to act this way); or It's what I get for being so______(stupid, trusting, irresponsible...)." What I'm really saying is: "There's not a God—not an involved one, anyway; Not a a God of Love, as we sang in Sunday School; Or if there is a God who sees and helps, it's only when I earn it or deserve it.
Posted on February 14, 2012
Being open–and what I discovered as a result
At the beginning of this year I determined to be more open. Not judge things prematurely but wait and see what new ideas or opportunities might come to me. Subsequently I received an invitation to move to the country—and took it. Overnight I went from mornings of sipping lattes and reading my emails at the corner Starbucks to bolting out from under three quilts, pulling sweats on over my clothes and spooning Folgers® into a waiting coffee maker. Ah, the wonders of doing-it-yourself...
Posted on February 8, 2012
The little-known act that frees you to be better than ever
In his blog post, The Most Important Part of the Creative Life, writer Jeff Goins says we need space—physical, mental and spiritual/emotional space—if we are to be truly artistic. Furthermore, creating spiritual/emotional space for ourselves requires facing our pain, writes Jeff. He shares several tips for doing so. Whether we consider ourselves creative or not, Jeff's post speaks to us because we all sometimes feel burdened...
