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anemptytextllineI have no illusions of grandeur. This is a blog, not a cure for cancer. For those who know me, I suppose it was inevitable that I would start a... -
anemptytextllineThe summer I turned 23 was a turning point in my life. I grew up in a small town in central Michigan. Small as in two stop lights. College took...
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anemptytextllineRecently I was in Washington, D.C. on business. I left my hotel one morning in a bit of a hurry. Instead of eating breakfast in a restaurant, I grabbed...
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anemptytextllineWe’ve all seen them. Billboards on the side of the highway with messages from God. Sometimes they are funny, but most of the time they just make me mad....
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anemptytextllineI wasn't going to say anything. After all, what does a white, suburban woman have to contribute to the discussion on race in America? Probably not much. I know...
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anemptytextllineI think I've forgotten how to live in the quiet. Silence is such a rarity in my life that when I experience an elusive moment of quiet I often feel...
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anemptytextllineI have a lot going for me as a parent. I have a strong partner in parenting. I have the support of friends and family who also have young...
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anemptytextllineA twenty-something man sits on the ground next to a bus stop reading a worn, paperback book. His skin is pale and his hair a light shade of brown,...
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anemptytextllineIf you’re like me, this is the time of year to plan your budget for 2015 and get stressed out in general about money. Here are a few suggestions...
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anemptytextllineEarlier this year I had the privilege of speaking to a group of women from my church about what it means to be a Christian. Spoiler alert! It is...
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anemptytextllineIt was about a year ago, while home on maternity leave, that I stumbled upon the Facebook page of a little girl in California who is fighting cancer. Her...
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anemptytextllineLast year I read a book that opened my eyes to a simple and beautiful way to live. The book "Love Does" by Bob Goff challenges readers to get...
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anemptytextlline"What matters is to find a purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth which...
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anemptytextllineEighty days ago today I made a big change in my life. I joined a group of more than seven million Americans and billions around the world. I became...
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anemptytextllineIf humanity shared food and water as it does words and opinions, no one would go hungry or thirsty. -R.J. Chance Recently I walked through a homeless shelter where hundreds...
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anemptytextllineThis morning I learned about a social media movement dubbed #DearSisters from Malaya. (Yes, that Malaya.) The purpose of the movement is to have people from around the world...
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anemptytextllineThe sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.” –Ernest Hemingway Recently, my work brought me to a seaside resort in...
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anemptytextllineToday was the funeral for my friend and mentor for the last eight years. I'll be honest...I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready when I got the email last week...
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anemptytextllineFather’s Day always brings mixed emotions for me. While I honor the important role fathers can play in a child’s life and I see my husband thrive as “dad”,...
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anemptytextllineIt’s been a difficult month. Hell, it’s been a difficult year. There’s a lot of bad news out there. This post is not about that. Not today. I consider...
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anemptytextllineI woke up this morning feeling uneasy. Sunday mornings always make me a little uneasy, but after Friday’s SCOTUS ruling (and the ensuing social media demonstrations for or against...
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anemptytextllineI did a lot of people watching at the airport today. In many ways, an airport can paint quite the portrait of American life. There are people from many...
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anemptytextllineI sit cross-legged atop a bar stool looking out across the street. Dog Story Theater advertises “Comedy Mondays: Barefoot in the Park.” A church steeple towers over the small...
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anemptytextllineThe smell of varnish permeates the old theater as a small group of believers shuffle in for worship. Hushed conversations and the sound of a baby crying fill the...
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anemptytextllineIt’s 9:45pm on a Friday night and everyone in my house is sleeping. Not a creature is stirring except my 17-pound tabby cats, Max and Sammy, who I hear...
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anemptytextllineCritical thinking means making reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out. It is a way of thinking in which you don't simply accept all arguments and conclusions...
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anemptytextllineEarlier this year my six-year-old daughter and I attended an event at her elementary school. Students and parents wandered around the gym perusing tables covered with various knickknacks, books,...
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anemptytextllineI don't play piano, but last night I did. In the basement of an old Masonic temple where my church's youth group meets, there is a dusty piano. It...
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anemptytextllineDear Cindy, Don’t be afraid, but this is you, I mean me, I mean us – 15 years in the future. You might be surprised to learn a few things...
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anemptytextllineI can't sleep. My heart is too heavy. Too many people have died in my lifetime because of violence - whether it is due to mental illness, drugs, bullying,...
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anemptytextllineLast month I traveled 27 hours on three different flights to get from Omaha, Nebraska to Kathmandu, Nepal. My work gave me the opportunity to travel to any of...
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anemptytextllineI took a walk with God today Down the paths And through the fields Laid out before me I had no agenda or time limit We just walked And talked And I wondered...
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anemptytextllineThe narrow dirt path cuts its way thru the dense overgrowth Winding thru an insurgency of weeds all competing for turf She walks placidly on what remains of the path Destined for...
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anemptytextllineWe all have demons For some it’s self-loathing, so deep, so shaming they dare not speak it For others it’s debilitating grief or anxiety or depression or all of the above;... -
anemptytextllineMost souls these days Exist in delirium A fog of zeal So sure of our own perspectives Right is right And everything else is wrong God must laugh Or cry At our arrogance We see what we want...
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anemptytextllineIn the stillness of a Saturday afternoon, I ponder What became of the stranger briefly shown Reality stopped upon our eyes meeting And I’ve never felt more known A single moment fleeting Breath held,...
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anemptytextlline2018 has been marked by heavy losses and gains – The loss of my first home The gain of a dream home The loss of proximity to people I’ve done life with...
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anemptytextllineI’ve never picked a word for the year before. Maybe it is knowing that my late, dear friend Becky did this. (Her word for 2018 was “abide”– and now...
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anemptytextllineTo The Man Who Has My Heart (On the occasion of your 40th birthday) by Cynthia English To the man who has my heart Who long ago – or was it only yesterday Took...
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anemptytextllineEven in the midst of all this Life goes on Hearts beat Seeds are planted and buds are starting to show Flowers bloom Bringing desperately needed color into the world Babies are born Eggs hatch Tadpoles emerge...
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anemptytextllineI hurried down the rain-soaked streets of London, wearing absolutely the wrong shoes for it and pulling along my overstuffed suitcase with the broken handle. It was 7:30am on...
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anemptytextllineI dream of a house on a lake With trees and peace close byThe waves cutting across the lovely deep blueOf Lake Michigan I hear leaves rustling in trees overheadAs I...
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anemptytextllineThere is security in zealotry. It feels good to belong and feel like you're on the right side of something, a scrappy minority fighting for good against evil. When...
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anemptytextllineIt took an insurrection for some, but I’ve seen clear lines drawn in the sand on social media – culling of friend lists and declarations for people to unfriend...