The Risk of NOT Being Busy
When my husband Jonathan and I moved from DC to Alabama five years ago, the biggest culture shock wasn’t the Southern accents, but rather, the less busy pace of life. It was the stunningly slow turns that drivers made into parking lots. It was standing still at a four-way stop because everyone wanted to let everyone else go first. (As a New Jersey native, both of these drove me bananas. Just go already! You could not get away with these shenanigans in New York!) But the biggest change of all was the sudden halt of my own busyness. …
From Distraction to Connection: You Need to Read with Rachel Macy Stafford (Plus an Only Love Today Book Giveaway!)
How do you resist the addictive pull of phone notifications to be present to the people around you? How do you shift from distraction to connection? How do you find the courage to be yourself when your judgmental inner voice tells you that you have to be perfect? How do you make peace with your past mistakes and enjoy your life here and now? Welcome to the second edition of our new video interview series, You Need to Read. Today, we’re discussing these powerful questions with author and speaker Rachel Macy Stafford! …
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When Less is More: You Need to Read with Jill Winski (Plus Win a Coaching Session!)
Welcome to the first edition of our new video interview series, You Need to Read! Today we’ll be discussing “When less is more” with Jill Winski. That said … I was tempted not to publish this post today. In the face of all the political uproar, I wondered, Is it somehow wrong to share an interview centered on compassion and living peacefully within yourself? But then I realized: No. Quite the contrary. In this troubled time – a time filled with divisiveness and unkindness – it’s even more important that we stand for inclusion, welcome, and generosity. And it’s even...
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You Don’t Owe Anyone An Interaction
Have you ever beat yourself up over not responding to every message you received in a day? Me too. I know how it goes. On one hand, you’re tired and overwhelmed. But on the other hand, there are emails! Texts! Calls! All demanding a response! If we check in with ourselves, we can sense which messages require our attention. However, we have trouble heeding that inner knowing because it conflicts with what we’ve been taught … If someone writes, we must write back. If someone starts talking, we must converse. If someone moves in for a hug, we must embrace....
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This Makes God Smile.
Friends, I’m going to share an excerpt from a new book with you today. But if hearing the words “daily devotional” makes you want to bolt, I understand, because I feel that way sometimes too. Daily devotionals and I have a checkered history, as they tend to trigger perfectionistic thinking. If I’d miss a day, I’d start to feel bad about myself, thinking, Shouldn’t I be more disciplined? And at some point I’d start comparing myself to the author, thinking, Shouldn’t I be ‘more spiritual’, more like so-and-so? Then I’d end up feeling like I’d failed at loving God if...
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For the Ones Who Make Us Smile as the Plane Goes Down
To this day, I’m not sure how close that plane was to crashing. Suffice to say, I certainly believed we weren’t going to make it … but an unsung hero helped me to stay calm. I’m no stranger to flying; in the past 6 weeks alone, I’ve boarded 11 flights for speaking engagements. Ordinary turbulence is no big deal. Yet I’ve never experienced anything like what happened on that flight. I was 15, flying home from Italy with my parents, brother, and best friends. We’d traveled abroad for a church gathering, and after a week of eating gelato and saying...
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Spend It Offering Light: Week 3 & Giveaway
What happens when the life you thought you had vanishes in an instant? That’s the question addressed by our two brave guests today, Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens and Leigh Linden (not her real name). Our current series, “Spend It Offering Light” (#OfferLight) continues today with their stories and a giveaway too! First time reading? Learn the story behind our series here. “Spend It Offering Light” features real people turning their fears into something that helps others, into light. Today, please welcome Leigh Linden and Tammy Strobel! …
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A New Welcome and A Fresh Start
God bless the people who know you better than you know yourself. Friends til the end. (Fall 2007) The ones who challenge you to move forward, to go deeper, to be braver than you think you know how to be. My friend and former college roommate Rachel has been such a person for me. And something she said this past November has proved quite prescient. We were meeting one morning for coffee in Washington, DC. My husband Jonathan and I were on an epic road trip, and I’d planned too many dates with friends along the way. I...
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What To Do When You Feel Like Giving Up
This past week, I vacationed with my husband's family at Lake Martin, Alabama. I had brave, active days: driving a WaveRunner, tubing and water-skiing. Yes, water-skiing. For my first day out, however, it would be more accurate to say, "I went out into the water, wearing skis, with every intention of water-skiing." I managed to get to a standing position maybe twice. Mostly, I fell down. As my failed attempts continued, I felt a connection between my attempt to ski and every task or relationship that I've been tempted to give up on. I thought of my brother,...
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