I love New Year’s Resolutions. Writing down my wide-eyed dreams for the next 365 days gives me great hope. But then, I hate New Year’s Resolutions. Because around the middle of April I realize just how pie-in-the-sky they really were.
12 Upside-Down New Year’s Resolutions for 2020 Read More »
Choose wisely. Sometimes we have days, even weeks, to anticipate the choices we will make in a difficult conversation. Other times the opportunity is suddenly before us and we tiptoe trepidatiously into unknown waters. The latter was the setting for Kellie and I as we spoke innocuously about immigration, heart-centered communication, and other matters.
Calling Out Racial Bias (Kindly) Read More »
Have you ever been red-hot mad? So mad you couldn’t see straight? We all have. And when we’re angry, we tend to do one of three things- attack like a Bulldog, manipulate like a Fox, or withdraw like a Turtle. However, our unhealthy strategies destroy the trust in our relationships and trust can take a
How to Communicate When You’re Angry Read More »
Conversations about controversial subjects can quickly turn violent- both in word and action. It’s not easy to keep your cool, stay in the moment, and maintain your connection with the other person. When my progressive, Seattle-dwelling friend Kellie suggested in a video conversation that we TRY to trigger each other and then monitor our physiological
Just Try to Trigger Me Read More »
When tragedy strikes, you need your friends and neighbors. You need them to hug you, to help you, to be a tangible reminder of what is good and beautiful and right in the world. And when tragedy strikes your friends, I know you want to be there for them, too.
5 Things You Can Say to Your Friend When Tragedy Strikes Read More »
My new study for small groups, Say it Brave: Wisdom and Faith for Tough Conversations, is finally available on Amazon. But it has been quite a few years in the making. Here’s the story behind it…
Say it Brave: Wisdom and Faith for Tough Conversations Read More »
Nearly every day we are confronted with another national situation that fuels polarity. Most recently, it’s the sexual misconduct allegations against Roy Moore, the conservative Republican judge in Alabama who is running in a tight race for US Senate. Even tragedies, like the massacre in Las Vegas, which would typically unite even the most antagonistic, have incited hateful words like verbal bombs
4 Steps to Civil Conversations: Hashing Out the Roy Moore Dilemma on Video Read More »
As we bring another Breast Cancer Awareness month to a close, I’m remembering… Cindy. Seven years ago, just a few days before my scheduled preventative bilateral mastectomy, a woman I hardly knew named Cindy Kreidel threw me a “Pink Party.” Complete with encouraging gifts, delicious snacks, heartfelt prayers, and an unforgettable, side-splitting skit involving pairs
Pink Party Power: Poured Into to Pour Out Read More »
When I was a teenager, I took risks. Like perching precariously underneath a train bridge to see what it felt like when a train went over. Not one of my wisest moments. But now that I’m older and so much more mature, I take “calculated” risks. Like agreeing to be interviewed by a Seattle radio station.
A Risky Interview with a Seattle Radio Station Read More »
There was one Petak who didn’t want to move to Colorado. He loved his home, his friends, his familiar hangouts, watching bluebirds every spring check out the houses for rent in the backyard. So, when the night came to load up the last of the riff-raff and pile in the car, he whined, even caterwauled. Heels dug in.
The Petak Who Didn’t Want to Move to Colorado Read More »