I get this sudden burst of energy and can breeze through the house with the vacuum, dust cloth and broom with a peculiar energy not present when no guests are expected. In this almost giddy state, dishes take half the time! a floor can be mopped in one magical moment…Wow! And I can plow through a stack of mail with the efficiency and skill of a surgeon. Continue reading
I opened the door to find my neighbor Emlyn parked there in his wheelchair. We’d always visited in the courtyard, at the mailboxes, in the parking lot, the laundry room—wherever our paths chanced to meet. But he’d never knocked on our door before. Continue reading
Recently Ramona Wink of KFXB-TV invited me to be her guest on her weekly program Connect. What a delight to share what God will do when we bring our needs and fears to Him.
Click HERE to view the Connect video at YouTube.
Thanks so much, Ramona and all the staff at KFXB-TV, for welcoming me so warmly!
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Have you put yourself out there only to end up feeling like a failure? Afraid to try again?
You might be encouraged by…
Holes or Heights: Where will your fears take you?
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I’m speaking in both Indiana and Iowa in October–Starting with the Greencastle Christian Church “Fall Fashion Swap” where I’ll be sharing “Cute Shoes…But Can You Walk in Them?” and finishing up with Des Moines’ Capitol City Baptist Church as part of their “Relax, Refresh, Renew” Fall Retreat. Many Stonecroft gatherings, too. Find the entire schedule here. Continue reading
My friend, Krista Burdine, wrote a 5-minute friday post on her blog this morning. Krista’s post sparked something in me so I decided to write one, too.
Still.
I often think of being still as something I come away from life and do to rest, restore, refresh. It’s the picture painted in “He leads me beside quiet waters.” (Psalm 23:2)
But I’ve realized that I need to be still when I’m in conversation with others. I’m energized by people. I get excited to share ideas and find common ground and learn together about life and God and walking through this world the best way I know how.
Sometimes that energy amps up way too high and I get to talking too fast. I get so excited to be talking with a real, live person. I’ve been working from home so there’s not as much “people-time” as I’d like. When I get caught up in the excitement, it’s easy to say things without thinking first. It’s like they just come out, and later I regret that I didn’t say things the way I’d liked to have.
So this morning I was thinking about being still during a conversation. Is there a way to engage in a great heart-to-heart and somehow remain still in that deepest part of me so that what flows from me is good and helpful, but still real?
You must be thinking, Wow, Mari’s speaking venture has really started to pay well. How else can she afford to have someone redecorate, hire a cleaning crew and pay a staff to cook for her? Can you imagine… Continue reading
Just a note to let you know my Winter 2011 LIVING FRAGRANCE newsletter will soon brave chilly winter weather to slip fresh-cut flowers into email inboxes around the world! Will there be flowers in yours?
LIVING FRAGRANCE brings you a fresh devotion, beautiful floral art and my current speaking schedule once each season of the year. I send out a few bonus issues here and there, but promise not to flood your inbox with frequent email. Readers of the Winter 2011 issue have an opportunity to win a full-color set of my latest floral greeting cards, so don’t miss out!
To subscribe, click on this link: LIVING FRAGRANCE SIGN-UP FORM
