Declining inspired invitations courage faith freedom god personal growth

Yesterday I had a random idea to reach out to a friend and invite her to go walking with me while our kids were at their youth activities at church. Immediately following the idea, a wave of excuses and doubts flowed in:

  • She probably already has other plans.
  • She's going to think it's a lame idea...
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The "how" of courage courage freedom god

Courage happens when what's in your heart is bigger than what's in your head. 

It can take you over and around barriers, push you across borders, and carry you for miles when you think you might be too tired to go on. 

Giving your head the microphone keeps those barriers, borders, and distances in the...

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Relationship goals choosing happiness family god jesus relationships

I've seen the most beautiful examples this weekend of inspiring married relationships that have shown me glimpses into what's possible, and we're working hard to build in our own marriage.

The first is my aunt and uncle, who are serving a mission together in Ontario, Canada (they're actually leading ...

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Setback, or setforward? choosing happiness courage faith god peace trust

When reality falls short of the ideal,

When our best-laid plans fall through, 

When sunny forecasts turn stormy;

When deep sleep is interrupted...


We can look at these as setbacks and be discouraged, or we can open ourselves to the idea that maybe there is even more available than we thought. Ma...

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Holy wow god miracles

I have a great friend who has the perfect expression of amazement. She says, "Holy wow!" I smile so big every time she says it. 

I've decided to adopt it for those times when something incredible pops up in my life, that is an undeniable blessing from God (I also like to call them "God winks"). 

This ...

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Arrival vs. alignment choosing happiness courage faith freedom god peace trust

Peace and light are available always, as a natural result of alignment with God. No matter the circumstances, this is an available state. This is freedom. Trust, calm, creativity, flow...it's all as normal as oxygen when you're aligned this way. We need this. 

It's easy to look at life like a big lon...

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Miracles faith family god miracles trust

Today, we celebrated our twin girls' 14th birthdays. I spent some time this morning reflecting on the miracles that surrounded their emergency premature delivery and found myself in tearful awe of the many ways we saw God's hand in the experience. 

I'll spare you the details, and tell you that I re...

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Praying on paper creativity faith god jesus motivation peace personal growth relationships religion and spirituality

I started doing something regularly late last year that has dramatically improved the quality of my time in prayer: 

I pray on paper.

This will sound a lot like Julia Cameron's "morning pages" (as described in her book, The Artist's Way) -- and that's actually how it started. 

Morning pages help get th...

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Accepting your lead role courage faith freedom god jesus motherhood personal growth potential trust

Each one of us is offered a role from God, and it's up to us whether we choose to accept it or not. It's a starring role that will push us both outward and inward. It is the role: Beloved Child of God.

This might sound like fancy old-fashioned language. Simplified into plain ol' American English, it ...

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When we need more than we have faith god jesus religion and spirituality

Sometimes the "bare minimum" is just fine, especially when we're in survival mode or in a season of just getting by with what we have in the moment. But there are other times when we need more than we can offer on our own -- when we're saying "yes" to a new chapter, taking a leap of faith, or seekin...

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AI (Artificial Intelligence) + II (Infinite Intelligence) courage creativity faith fear god peace productivity

I'm hearing a lot about AI these days, in many different circles. Some are embracing it with enthusiasm, and others are still very apprehensive about trying it out. I've been using it for many purposes in my business, and it's been a game changer. But I've found an even more powerful way to use it: ...

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The best views courage family god motherhood relationships

I had the amazing opportunity to go to SXSW25 in Austin this last week, where I got to stay in a beautiful hotel with the most fantastic view of downtown Austin (and the huge sky above it). The content tracks I was most interested in ended on Tuesday and I was scheduled to fly home Friday, so I thou...

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