March 2009

Measuring Success

It's all about the numbers. In my line of work - program consulting for Christian nonprofits - the trends and buzzwords center on end-result statistics. Assessments, evaluations, outcome measurements - all tracking impact to determine whether a ministry's achieving its goals and making a difference. Donors care about this increasingly, requiring accountability for ...

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Dream Poppers

We sat in the intimate living room with friends and family.

"I've been asked to join the Proverbs 31 Ministry speaking team," I said with excitement.

Proverbs 31 Ministries is a strong group of women who support, encourage, and mentor faith-filled women who write and speak. It was not only an opportunity to pursue my passion of mentoring, but I was tired ...

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Food For Thought - Mar 23 2009

Have you ever read a biography or a great novel and felt so swept up in the story that the book's characters became real to you? As you read their story, you felt you actually were spending time with them?

Gospel meditation, or "being there," has traditionally been called the Ignatian Method, after Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491?1556). He instructed his ...

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Praying Together

I admit: I love girl-talk. Add a comfy booth and coffee and I'm in heaven. When I head out the door to meet a friend for coffee, I know I'm really heading out for a couple of hours of encouragement, sharing, and the give and take of conversation. Good stuff!

But not too long ago, I began wondering about these "gab-fests." What do I really hope to gain ...

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The Day I Met My Dream

So today's a big day for me. One of the "biggies" in my life, actually. It's the day I met my dream (if I may be a tad dramatic). You see, today - with the release of my first book, Mama's Got a Fake I.D.: How to Reveal the Real You Behind All That Mom - I became an official published author. Something I've wanted to do since I was seven, when ...

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Food For Thought - Mar 16 2009

How many times have you sat in the employee lunchroom with coworkers when a person starts to complain about a change in the office hours, the vacation schedule, or the telephone rotation? Within five minutes, everyone sitting around the table feels obliged to chime in with their own litany of job gripes. Complaining is contagious. It's hard not to become a carrier.

Complaining ...

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When Women Cling

Today I had to have a tough conversation. A friend of mine has become invasive, ignoring boundaries I have in place. For a couple of weeks she called everyday three or four times a day and sent multiple emails (there was no emergency or urgent need). One day when I hadn't responded to calls or email due to a busy schedule and prior commitments she just dropped by. I ...

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Emerging into Leadership

Over and over again in my conversations with women in the emerging church movement, I hear the story of women awakening to themselves. They realize that as women they too are created in the image of God and so in theory can serve their creator faithfully in whatever way they are called. Intellectually, they understand this. They want to engage theology, attend conferences, ...

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"Coming to Know" in the ER

Today a 29-year-old woman came into the Emergency Room.

When I am not moving loads of laundry from the washer to the dryer, playing taxi driver to my seventh-, fourth-, and first-grade children, or making another meal, I work as a part-time chaplain at a nearby hospital. In the hospital setting, pastoral care is diagnostic. We are trained to understand a patient's ...

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