We’re now in the middle of our move. Half of us are here in Southern California and half of us are still back in Michigan. The half of us living in LA is hanging out in a Residence Inn and managing lots of new-life, people who don’t know us, or no people at all. The two of us still in…
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Last week on NPR I heard a fascinating interview with a psychiatrist who uses avatar therapy to quiet the negative voices in people’s minds and free them from the burdens imposed by fear, doubt, anxiety, insecurity (etc.). I’ve since read that this sort of therapy is even used to treat clinical schizophrenia. Fascinating, isn’t it? Talk about theater of the…
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It all happens in a flash. Our youngest turns 8 and counts the minutes until his friends arrive for backyard maniac birthday party. My eldest turns 21 and heads to Prague with his collegiate basketball team to inspire high school students to strive for an uplifted life. Then, of course, he’s taking the dozens of dollars he’ll have left to…
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Here are a few interesting dots to connect. Yesterday CNN covered loads about their own media industry. Wait, is that a circular reference? No matter. They featured a shouting panel of experts arguing whether or not we should vilify the writers of Glee who predictably leveraged the public debate of guns in schools to desperately elevate their ratings. An equal…
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I’m still piecing this story together, sparked by the industry discussion of a super bowl television commercial that ran in our nation’s largest cities. I haven’t delved much into the details behind the church of scientology except the tabloid kind of information that I always hope is invented by wildly imaginative people. Apparently, an Oscar winning author/screenwriter/ Hollywood/Scientologist named Lawrence…
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In this war Our enemy likes to keeps us off kilter. Spinning our heads. Tossing in grenades of worry. Obstacles meant to keep us from moving forward with purpose. Yet the greatest warrior king of all time beckons us to trust. Shedding fear and doubt. Shouting strength and giving glory to God. The one who is our armor For all…
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Psychologist Barry Schwartz in his now-classic TED talk on the paradox of choices identified a slightly twisted form of Opportunity Cost as one of the downsides to the endless choices we have (indeed, we demand) in our culture today. “The imagined alternatives induce you to regret the decision you made and the regret subtracts from the satisfaction of your choice…
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I have enjoyed the ministry of Emily Freeman’s Dear Me. I’m late for her submission, but here goes. As I finally sit down to non-chalantly toy with the concept, I’m more in the mood for a list than a letter. It might be because it’s Friday night and we’re watching an odd animated movie by a cozy fire. Or it…
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If you miss the impossible power of the miracle, you won’t see God. Yes, that’s it. This is where I must stay today. I’m now beginning the wonderful new book by our wise pastor Jim Samra. God Told Me is new jam-packed teaching on listening for guidance from God. “He is a better guide for our life than we are.”…
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SUNDAY MORNING JULY 1, 2012 I thought we’d know by now. I expected to have more clarity, to have finished more, to have a better understanding of the next step. For it is in this hope that we are saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope…
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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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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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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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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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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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Lets see, we pay the Verizon bill for her cell phone/texting appendage. And she’s 13 (an 8th grader!). Her behavior is high caliber and she’s not done anything to challenge our trust. We believe in the mantra that our children will rise to the occasion of our trust and honor. We know our job is to teach boundaries. We also…
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Seth Godin used it today and I knew right away I had to start a new game: The Friday Word. (i do so love to be unexpected.) TRIANGULATING IS EVERYWHERE. Satellites triangulate global positioning and tell us which streets will get us where we want to go. Google triangulates web traffic and our clicking and also tells us where we…
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We leave for our seven day trip to Portland Oregon to visit Erik’s school and see two Multnomah Lions basketball games! Since I’m outnumbered without Steve, we begin with a reminder of the instructions that are important for a six year old to hear regularly. [box] Stay close. We’ll be in crowded places and sometimes having to move quickly to…
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December 23. Christmas !!!!!!! It’s here. We’ll celebrate at home tonight even though it’s two nights before the 25th. We’ll read the Christmas Story and just BE together. Food and gifts, yes. But more: our faces our hearts.. love. We’ll be together. And it’ll take some work.
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Today I honor my husband. One year ago today his decision changed everything. As magnificent head of our home and pillar of strength, he pulled in. He allowed it to happen. He allowed God to invade deeper truths. We took time. Weeks and weeks of study and prayer and growth. Sometimes painful and always holy.