Are you ready to get out of the house and talk to someone besides the dog? I have just the Outside of Ordinary event you’ve been waiting for… You’re invited to dinner with me and some of my friends. We will be “gathering” around the table to enjoy an amazing meal provided by the Sugared Spoon Bakery and to simply have a conversation – the topic being “Uncertainty”. We’ll share our thoughts, our frustrations and our humorous stories of what our lives have become. And don’t forget where’s there’s a Sugared Spoon, there’s an amazing dessert!. Make your reservation as soon as possible because only ..read more

I am back from California where I had a fantastic time road tripping with Fashionista Daughter. Due to Covid closings, we spent the majority of our time on the beach or poolside. It only took minutes for me to realize that my body is not what it used to be. I have never seen so many perfect bikini bodies. In a world that values youth and beauty, it can be pretty disheartening to face the fact that my body will never be like it once was. I am aging just like everyone else and well, that doesn’t always look pretty. HOWEVER I’m not losing hope because 2 Cor 4:16 tells me to NOT lose heart even th ..read more

Joshua is one of my all-time favorite people in the Bible. He was brave, bold and undaunted. Joshua was a visionary. I’ve already scheduled a coffee date with Joshua in Heaven. I’m looking forward to hearing about all of his adventures. Joshua is famous for says “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Joshua was determined to make the right choice. I don’t know what dilemma you are facing today, but I want to encourage you to make the RIGHT choice. It could be as simple as getting up and exercising or choosing the healthy food over the junk food. Or it could be as comp ..read more

…and Ollie teaches us yet another lesson. Let’s start with a fact. Ollie does not like to walk on a leash. He is simply too anxious to get where he’s going. He also wants to chase squirrels, bunnies, foxes, leaves – you name it. I’ve tried all sorts of training collars, treats and even losing my temper. He feels bad, I can tell, but he just can’t seem to help himself. HE WANTS TO RUN. So I got the bright idea of taking him to our back lot and let him off the leash. To my amazement he did great. He ran and hopped and circled around me and when he got a little too far away, I called him and he c ..read more

I chose the word “HUMILITY” for the year 2020 and I’ve made some interesting discoveries during the last 6 months. My idea of humility when starting this journey was: -not thinking of myself as better than anyone else; -not seeking personal gain; -and basically keeping my mouth shut (you have to know me to understand why this would benefit me a great deal.) What I’ve learned so far (beyond those initial ideas) is:  -rather than comparing myself to others, I try to compare myself to Jesus. Comparing         myself to others often leads to tearing others down in ord ..read more

Does the world seem louder to you? It seems so noisy to me. There’s Covid, protests, unrest not to even mention my own personal struggles. I just want to tell everyone to be quiet for a minute and reset. There’s a story in the Bible about a man named Elijah who was in despair and hiding in a cave – perhaps an early example of social distancing. He needed some direction, he needed to hear from God.  He expressed his despair to God and God gave him instructions to stand on a mountain, promising him he was going “pass by”. All at once a huge wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. B ..read more

“Those who keep speaking about the sun while walking under a cloudy sky are messengers of hope the true saints of our day.”   Henri Nouwen – Catholic priest and author I think all of us are shocked by what is going on in our world today. We have lost our normal but it is imperative that we do not lose our hope.  It’s time like these when our faith needs to shine not diminish.  There’s a story in the bible about a man named Lazarus who was dying…his family sent word to Jesus to come quickly, because surely he could heal him. Jesus chose to wait two days to depart and by the time ..read more

Has anyone else noticed that our “shelter in place” status caused food to be a source of entertainment? We played a lot of cards but we’ve made A LOT of food – and it’s not like it just sits there on the counter looking pretty – eating has become entertainment. We had fun experimenting and trying new recipes. Hero Husband tackled homemade bread and homemade cheese. Silly Sister made some amazing desserts (not normally her forte but she succeeded at the challenge). Last week I specifically asked her if she would make some homemade spaghetti sauce like our Mom would make, and I assured her we ha ..read more

I don’t think it will come as a big surprise for me to tell you that we have postponed our 2020 Rescued Conference. There are just too many unknowns to ask my amazing team to put in the time and effort it takes to present the conference. Patti Beth, Susie and I truly want to do something special this Fall on a smaller scale but we do not know what that looks like just yet. Please stay in touch as we will send you any updates we have. Making a big decision is hard, but the peace that follows is amazing. I pray for all of you who are facing the many “what ifs?” right now. May God give you His in ..read more

Are you like me…you’re always thinking about what you need to do next? I’m almost always planning something in my mind, whether it be ministry opportunities or meals for the week. I feel an obligation to be productive. I’m in a place in my life where I’m trying to figure out what’s next…where am I going? I am restless because I am not where I really want to be. I am very tempted to try to make things happen but there is a small still voice inside my chaotic mind…it’s almost a whisper and it says: wait.  We are all quick to quote Jeremiah 29:11 that tells us God has a plan for our our life ..read more