Have you ever been asked, “What would you say to your younger self?” Sister, I have!
In fact, I was just asked this recently while speaking at a local college. And, as I responded, do you know what I realized? The things I didn’t know as a younger woman are the same things I’m still learning as a maturing one.
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Simplify your life. It’s a thing, isn’t it? Thank it and throw it away. Declutter.
I laughed when I searched for this topic on the internet. I found one blog with 72 ways to simplify your life and another that had 100 ideas. But, only a few of the same ways showed up on both lists! Can you believe that?
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What do you get when you have two friends, a pile of random questions, and no prep? This episode of the 4:13 Podcast!
If you’ve ever attended one of my Fresh Grounded Faith women’s events, you know that my guests and I always “Spill the Beans” during one of the sessions. We take the stage with a stack of your questions and answer them unplanned and unrehearsed.
We once had some really odd neighbors. Odd is not an insult, I promise! Sadly, “odd” really is my accurate neighborly analysis. It’s the only way to say it—and here’s why.
Every fall, a crudely constructed cardboard sign showed up in my neighbors’ front yard. They wrote across it in black magic marker, “Love Potion #9 for Sale.” It wasn’t a joke—at least not to them. The rest of us, well, we had no idea what it was or why they were selling it!
We wondered if this potion would help someone fall in love with you, or maybe it was the perfect formula to help you get those long-lost lovin’ feelings back into your relationship.
I bet your world is full of holiday hustle about now, right? Christmas is just a few days away and your life may be crammed with parties and wrapping and baking and caroling and shopping and traveling… and… uh…. deep breath… and more wrapping and more baking and… okay, that’s enough!!
I need to stop and breathe. Do you? I mean, I – we — need to stop and breathe in the beauty, the meaning, the radical impact of Christmas. So, I wrote a simple prayer to center me, and maybe it will help you, too.
In case you missed it, I’m officially a GiGi! I am just beside myself with joy, and I have no time to write because I am holding a sweet baby boy. So I asked my smart, fun, lovely friend Margaret Feinberg to help me out — she’s going to share with you on the blog today. She’s hung out with us before, and I know you love her as much as I do.
But, girl, today, she is going to share with you how to not only live the life you long for, but write about it, too. I have met so many of you who say you want to write a book or a blog and my girl, Margaret, can help you do just that — in the most brilliant way. So, enjoy what she has to say and let me know what you think!
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My husband, Leif, is from Alaska. We spent the first five years of marriage living in his hometown of Sitka as well as the capital, Juneau. In each of these towns, cruise ships arrived throughout the summer.
On the busiest days, more than 20,000 people would disembark those ships and fill the tiny towns. The majority of visitors were in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Many were barely able to walk. Some dragged an oxygen tank behind them.
I found myself welling with admiration for these feisty travelers. They fought hard to realize their lifelong dream of visiting Alaska. Way to be courageous. Way to overcome obstacles.
But the longer we stayed in Alaska, the more I heard these amazing visitors repeat the same story: They had lived their whole lives with a bucket list. Alaska was always in the top five things they wanted to do, but it never reached number one.
By the time they arrived, they physically couldn’t participate in the activities, tours, and hikes that reveal Alaska’s most splendid beauty. They couldn’t hike into the ice caves of Mendenhall glacier to see the mesmerizing sapphires of ancient winters’ beauty. They were unable to kayak along the shore with seals splashing alongside. They couldn’t hike the mountains’ crest to behold Alaska’s rugged coastline while munching on sweet wild salmonberries.
Why do I share that?
