Category: Faith

Navigating the Transitions of Life

Faith Gratitude Story Uncategorized

Navigating the Transitions of Life

By

I had never met her before.

Her son came into our consignment shop to talk to me about downsizing her estate so she could move into a 900 square foot assisted living apartment from her 3,000 square foot home of 42 years. He was a little impatient and bothered by the process, but he was so thankful to find help with the massive undertaking.

As I walked through her front door two days later, she reached out and pulled me into a huge bear hug as tears gently formed along her bottom eyelids. I hugged her back. Not with an emotional attachment, she was a complete stranger to me. But as one who understood the tearing apart of a person and the things that represented the sum of her life. Her attachment was not to the things themselves , but to the memories those things carried. … Continue reading

Resolve and Action: A Lesson from Patrick Henry

Blog Business Faith Journal Parenting

Resolve and Action: A Lesson from Patrick Henry

By

I was on vacation with my family in Virginia when I saw them sitting on the third shelf from the bottom all in a row. The worn leather spines whispered their age to me. Their years of service to some curious soul was obvious in the worn pages nested inside the weathered covers. I picked one of them up. It was the one that interested me most from the volumes of “The South in the Building of the Nation.” It was entitled, “History of Southern Oratory.” There’s something different about reading the great speeches of American history from a book that looked and felt that raw.

It made me hear things differently.

… Continue reading

Thank God for the Fleas: The Power of Radical Gratitude

Faith Gratitude Story Uncategorized

Thank God for the Fleas: The Power of Radical Gratitude

By

gratitude

The Late Corrie Ten Boom

This guest post was written by Cynthia Beaudry who lives with her husband Brian and her dog Penny in Portland, Oregon.

I used to feel sorry for myself.

Like all of time, in fact. And when I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself I was trying to manipulate those around me to do the same.  Honestly, it was because it seemed that nothing ever came easy in my life.

And because of that I spent a lot of time in victim mode.

… Continue reading

Frederick Buechner on Marriage

Faith Journal Story

Frederick Buechner on Marriage

By

Frederick Buechner on Marriage

They say they will love, comfort, honor each other to the end of their days. They say they will cherish each other and be faithful to each other always. They say they will do these things not just when they feel like it, but even—for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health—when they don’t feel like it at all. In other words, the vows they make at a marriage could hardly be more extravagant. They give away their freedom. They take on themselves each other’s burdens. They bind their lives together in ways that are even more painful to unbind emotionally, humanly, than they are to unbind legally. The question is, what do they get in return?

… Continue reading

Blog Faith

True Worship?

By

Lights… Camera… Action…

I remember being caught in the trap that worship was a 45 minute light and sound show.

Now I could probably use a swing back in that direction, however, God has been clarifying worship for me.

Corporate “worship” (aka singing worship songs) is far from the only form of worship.

With that said, here is a lost of what God says true worship is: (Isaiah 58)… Continue reading

Counting the Cost and Pressing On

Blog Faith Story

Counting the Cost and Pressing On

By

Do you understand the Cost of Following Your Dreams?

garths on tour cost of following your dreamsI remember the first time Dave Garth told me that someday he would ride his bike around the world. I thought he was crazy. And I doubted that it would ever happen (sorry Dave). I remember the subsequent courting stage of his relationship with his future bride. Whether she would be willing to take the journey with him was paramount in the process. … Continue reading

Emotional Economy: 6 Insights into Emotional Stewardship

Business Faith Journal

Emotional Economy: 6 Insights into Emotional Stewardship

By

What’s the deal with emotional economy?

Life is a series of transactions.

Debits and credits determine balances. Assets and liabilities determine net worth. Revenue and expenses determine profit. Give and take determine the richness of relationships. You put gas in the car and you drive. If you fail to replenish the supply of gas, you find yourself thumbing a ride like a gypsy without a cause.

Economies determine consequence and reward.

With that said, there are different types of economies. God’s economy is an exchange of Grace. Marriage economy is an exchange of love. Employment economy is an exchange of money for time and skill. Parenting economy is an investment in a legacy future for the next generation. Each of those economies works differently. … Continue reading

Reality and the Daily Grind

Faith Journal Story

Reality and the Daily Grind

By

This excerpt is from the book on my Alaskan Adventures from 1996-2014. (Click here to find it)

After dancing on the glacier, we made our obligatory souvenir shop stops in downtown Anchorage.  Who would travel to a place so far away without a drink at the fountain of the local market?  They are the same in almost every city around the world.  Depending on the level of civilization, they may differ in quality and source. The third world countries offer higher quality hand-made items while the first world countries carry cheap assembly line look-alikes. But the variety and types bear no striking difference.  … Continue reading

Lime Green Balloon

Faith Parenting Story

Lime Green Balloon

By

Parenting with GodToday was a day full of fun with my two oldest!

Grace is 7 and Gabe is 4. Daniel is 2, but today he was sick, so he stayed home with mom.

That left Grace, Gabe and me to spend the day together.

The plan? A birthday party and a church event.

The birthday party was a blast! Monkey Park is a favorite kids destination and party venue in our town.

When we arrived, we made our way to Pavilion #1 where the party was underway. Turns out there were two parties in Pavilion #1. The mom from Party B had reserved the pavilion and arrived after Party A was already set up. Party B’s party leader graciously allowed Party A to use the left side of the pavilion while they partied it up on the right side.

Turns out Party B had the coolest balloons. Lime green with party hats and streamers drawn in white and a big “Happy Birthday” printed in a really cool font. Not only were they cool party balloons, but they were cool party balloons filled with helium!

GABE LOVED THEM…… Continue reading