Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
123 Street Avenue, City Town, 99999
(123) 555-6789
email@address.com
You can set your address, phone number, email and site description in the settings tab.
Link to read me page with more information.
wife, mom, coach, & entrepreneur
Based on the amount of receiving our family has done in the past two to three months, I would say that we are going to be some seriously extraordinary givers in the future. I humbly shed tears of gratefulness every couple days
Read MoreI've heard life compared to driving a car. From the drivers seat I can either view the road through the rear-view mirror or the front windshield. Anyone who drives knows that intently focusing in the rear-view mirror while attempting to drive forward would cause an accident, or at best a slow and swervy drive. If I want to drive well and arrive at a specific destination then I better be looking out the BIG front windshield.
Read MoreThis past week has been incredibly full. Full of packing, cleaning, sorting, storing, remembering, laughing, crying, and saying farewell. We are now fully in transition. Yesterday we drove with the kids through the camp property sharing memories of our two years (exactly 2 years!) in this place. We enjoyed so many new experiences, met amazing people, built lasting friendships, and lived deeply. We held nothing back and we have no regrets. Finally, we walked through our empty house then huddled in the living room for a tearful prayer of gratitude.
Read MoreThank you Barb, from Second Chance to Dream, for bringing some colorful springtime creativity to the Be Extraordinary! blog. Barb is an incredible teacher and life-coach who also has a wonderfully creative side that she is sharing with us today. Enjoy connecting with Barb today!
Read MoreThere is so much written about decluttering. There are books and blogs and TV shows about letting go of the physical, mental, and emotional clutter holding us back in life. Even I have written about clutter in a previous post. I am finishing up Tommy Newberry's book, 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life. Day 39 was about clearing the clutter. With all of the valuable info about our thoughts, emotions, and actions throughout the book, this emphasis on clutter caught me by surprise and also convicted me greatly.
Read MoreOn a beautiful Sunday afternoon last September, I planted 44 bulbs in my front flowerbed. This ranks right up there with the largest amount of gardening I have ever done. I was so proud of my efforts and my heart welled up with excitement for seeing these beauties bloom come spring. This was such a momentous event in my life that I even wrote a blog about it. Today, I am pretty irritated about those bulbs.
Read MoreI have the honor of guest posting with my beautiful and inspiring friend, Barb! She has an amazing blog that reflects her truly creative, energetic, and loving spirit. Barb is also a life-coach and is so generous with her wisdom and life-experience. I think you will enjoy her (and her blog) immensely!
Read More"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Said no one ever! Ok, I said those words in elementary school and heard others say those words in a singsongy voice, but I know those words are not true. Words are so powerful! Words are capable of tearing people down and they also have the power to lift, encourage, and build people up. I realized recently (not the first time) that it is so easy to be flippant with the words I speak to my kids.
Read MoreI have been so distracted this past week by my hurt and my pain. It resulted in being physically sick which resulted in lots of down time, lots of thinking time, and unfortunately lots of stewing and brewing time over all that transpired these past 4-8 weeks.
Read MoreWhen I was 12, I had visited three states and had never traveled outside the USA. I lived in Wenatchee, WA and my big travels had taken me to Oregon (the northeastern tip, LaGrande) and Idaho, mostly by car, but at least one time by plane. I would venture to say that at that point my world was pretty small. Then, around the time I turned 13, my world quickly expanded.
Read MoreHave you ever had someone witness your worse moments first-hand? Sometimes our lowest and darkest moments happen in secret, but in marriage/family relationships there is a front-row seat to the mountains and the valleys of a person's life.
Read MoreDo you want more papers, piles, unpaid bills, overflowing closets, puzzles with missing pieces, broken games or toys, clothes that don't fit, weight, stress, or chaos?
If you love everything on that list, you can stop reading now!!
Honestly, when I read that list, I want to immediately clean my closets, clean my pantry, and go run 3 miles. I don't want more of any of those things!
Read MoreIt was just three weeks ago today that Joe headed into a meeting that would change the course and direction of our lives. At first, it sent us into a whirlwind of emotions - disbelief, hurt, anger, denial, and uncertainty. The initial sting of being "let go" from our ministry was strong and the response of friends, family, acquaintances, and God was equally as strong.
Read MoreI love my kids. I tell them I love them. I want them to grow up knowing their mom loves them - a lot! Here is a frequent conversation with my 8-year-old, Celina:
Read MoreYou are always being watched. I don't mean by the secret service or some other government agency, although they could be watching too. :) You are being watched by the people around you: your children, your parents, your Facebook friends, your community, etc. Anyone you come in contact with on a regular basis has the opportunity to watch your life and your reaction to the circumstances of your life.
Read MoreI was literally thrust into a difficult circumstance recently. Just a few days prior I had been challenged by a friend to memorize Proverbs 3:5-6 from the Message version which states,
"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track."
Read MoreDo you like peace? Do you like your home to feel peaceful? Do you ever wish your home looked like it was taken straight out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine? You know the look . . . clean countertops, fluffed pillows neatly placed on the couches, beautiful lighting, great music, and sipping your favorite beverage while curled up reading a book in a cozy chair in the corner of the living room. This is the the look, feel, and experience of every mom in every home in America. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Read MoreI have been a little silent on the blogging front for the past few weeks. This is the first week without any new posts (I usually post twice each week), but it has been a few weeks since I have written something new. I was so proud of myself for having several weeks worth in the queue, but those disappeared quickly.
Read MoreWere you a student in 2014? If you answered "no" to the question then you must continue reading! Let me add some clarity to my trick question. There are many types of students. Typically we think of students as people who are in school - traditional, public, private, home, elementary, junior high, senior high, or university. Whatever the mode, students are in some type of formalized education. However, this is not the type of student I am talking about. I am referring to the person who is always learning, no matter their age or connection to a formalized learning environment.
Read MoreI love gifts! Receiving gifts is fun, rewarding, enjoyable, and often filled with anticipation. Yet, even more than receiving gifts, I love giving gifts! Our whole family (and I am sure many of you) loves gift-giving. When the perfect gift is found it heightens the anticipation of that treasure to be opened. I am making some Christmas gifts this year. Each of my kids will receive a hand-made rag quilt. The fabric of each quilt was specifically chosen for each of them. It took several trips to the fabric store and a whole lot of contemplation to find things that I think they will love.
Read More