Death Confronts Us Again. And we confront death. This makes three in one year, up close. Each death takes us closer to carving out where meaningful lives. We try to make sense of it. We cannot know why a man of 40 dies and leaves three little children and a young devoted wife. Our good friend is gone. His children…
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Lots of helpful hints on building our platforms, eh? It’s all good. I know from a business point of view we need a platform from which to influence our tribe and sell stuff. From a branding point of view we need a platform from which to build our strategic pillars of messaging and design. I lived in those worlds for…
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C.S. Lewis says: “Pride is spiritual cancer.” Nodding, we all easily grasp the problem of pride (particularly in others). But as a parent, aren’t we justified in aiming our pride at our successful, well-trained children? Even noble? After all, we’ve worked hard to train them in the ways of God and culture. More Lewis: As long as you are proud you…
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Lots of us recovering control freaks still want to construct the world according to the vision we have for what we know to be the best course of action for us and those around us. (Exhausting even to read!) But this week in my clicking, (particularly via Jon Acuff’s blog) I’ve encountered fun conversation about the glory that often resides…
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As we continue to shepherd our children, I continue to see the connection between my long experience in creative marketing strategy [for clients] and life decisions that are based on a strategic plan. This is our role in helping our kids get to a place in their life that is on purpose. First, what’s driving you? It can’t be money; God…
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I tried to focus. Re-focus. I tried to force open a window of inspirational reflection. At least finish yesterday’s journal entry left hanging mid-sentence. These days are filled with unique family demands that crescendo just prior to the screeching, super slo-mo, sideways-slide of summer. Busy, but different. Amidst the planning of camps and no-camps for the small and mid-size ones,…
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I love this word. Paradox. In a conversation through this space about marriage, Evan Forester and I shared ideas on submission. Wise Evan called up Paul’s words in his letter to the leaders in Phillipi and the whole concept also became relevant to TODAY’s current events (of all things). Philippians 2 puts it: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is…
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Mom has moved the pillow to the center of the bed: submission to the truth. He is with Jesus and her life is changed. How can she be happy that he’s gone? How can we celebrate the joy of heaven when we have such guttural pain in our body? It’s the most ultimate choice that we must work through…
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Submit. This word has been in our atmosphere a lot lately. Godly submission, idea submission, submitting to our spouse, our situation, our better self. Every day – indeed every hour – we have the choice to submit. As we navigate our busy days, we don’t stop to ponder this choice, but we are making it with each step, each reaction,…
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Scandalous runs in my family. It goes back for generations. In this fuzzy 1973 snapshot of a few well-mannered, if giddy, English family members, the layers of unheard of behavior would make your hair curl! The woman in the middle: my grandmother. Born in Santiago Chile in 1901, married an Englishman who worked for the BBC. During WWII her husband…
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I know, weird. But the idea of vibrating thresholds is once again the best way to describe this time. It’s my new way of thinking about life change that we can sense but can’t see to the other side. Sometimes it’s merely waiting. But often it’s continuing to heed the insistences on our heart. Walking towards the dream. Steve’s and…
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THEORY: Parents with a healthy view of Godly sex have a better chance of teaching their kids the explosive joys of waiting for the beautiful experience of sacred lovemaking. See? I told you. Scandalous. I don’t fault my parents for their lack of capacity to teach me about sex. For heaven’s sake, it was the 60’s. Mom grew up in…
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You’ve seen a bumblebee when it bounces frantically, persistently into the window, unaware of the clear and solid obstacle between him and the luscious bouquet of wildflowers on your sun porch? The squirrels and robins watch this bumblebee and try to shout to him “it’s no use!” but he doesn’t seem to get it. He thinks he can fly through the…
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Jack’s Tough. He’s hung out his whole life with his much-older brothers and his teenage sister, and he can hold his own in a game of “Oh yea? Take that.” But. There’s this weird thing happening this year with a couple puny 4th grade bullies on the elementary school bus. These kids don’t even look tough and they cower in…
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My first writing festival! Like a 13 year old girl on Rodeo Drive, I cannot possibly see all that is luscious. Today’s Day 3; I need to make room and shake out some of the vibrating energy in my fingers…. I want to be able to carry around the speeches and conversations with me like a little shot of 5-Hour…
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It finally came. Like many, I followed closely as my best-friend-Don (who I’ve not yet technically met actually in real person face-to-face) struggled and amazed everyone with the whole GET IT TOLD process. The BLJ book, the other book about the making of the movie, the funding of the movie, the almost not movie …. (inhale) and now the public…
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It seems like a good day to repost this. I got caught shoplifting when I was 18 years old. I know, I know. REALLY late bloomer. The security guard’s cold hand clenched my left wrist as I attempted to leave the store without paying for the pair of jeans that hid in my bag. The crime took place in a Hudson’s…
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We all have ‘em. We have lots of them and they are blocking our view. They block a clear view of our parents, our business situations, our finances, our children, our miraculous spouses and ourselves. We have scales on our eyes. Important aspects of understanding and knowledge; grace and compassion, even intelligence. All distorted because we have scales. Some people have scales…
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I’ll be clear. For approximately 22.2 years I’ve been planning to write a book. (You, too?) Now in my 40-something, fabulous, post-transformation healthier place, I’m endeavoring to bring that dream to life. It’s going to be great. I quit not-one-but-two fairly big jobs. (Ok, one was bigger than the other.) And now I humbly devote myself to balancing my time…
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Even though I am now on my own as a periodic consultant and should-be-committed-writer, I still very much enjoy my subscriptions to the agency trade and business publications that flicker in my inbox. Today’s gem was from Inc. Magazine. Here’s the original opening set-up. 6 Habits of True Strategic Thinkers by Paul J. H. Schoemaker You’re the boss, but you still…