Knowledge puffs up. Love builds up (1 Cor 8:1). I write and I preach to strengthen people's faith in love. Let’s face it, I write and preach to strengthen MY faith in love. Faith that you are not defined only by what you do or what you’ve done. But the WHOLE of you. Your experiences, your stories, are your wisdom. The more you tap into that wisdom the more you will discover and embrace who you are becoming.
I’ve tried to organize the posts - the lovely circles - by the topics that inform my preaching, coaching and teaching. I hope the experiences, stories, and wisdom shared here, prompt some supportive insights of your own.
All Articles
Are You There God? It’s Me, Job.
“Are you there, God?” That’s a question asked again and again in scripture and in the stories of our time - like teen fiction! Because it’s a question most of us can relate to.
How People Tell Us Who They Are
My sister ended her life in 2014. Anthony Bourdain in 2018. The same week, you remember, as Kate Spade. That was the first Sunday I was able to speak about my sister's death in a sermon.
Problem-Solving With People We Find Problematic
We’re human. But frustration won’t move us forward. So how do you problem-solve with people you’d rather not work with at all? How do you find a solution with someone you feel you have nothing in common with? How do you move towards solutions together instead of getting entrenched on opposing sides?
Embrace Your Doubts
Doubt is a hand being raised by your heart and head saying, “Hello from in here! Can we talk with you, because we have some concerns?”
Vulnerability is risk, uncertainty, and emotional exposure. So, doubt, like vulnerability, is hard to feel. But if that hard (and heart) feeling place is also the birthplace of joy, love, belonging, faith, all the good stuff, then don’t we need to pay attention to our doubts?
Move Forward With Curiosity, Compassion, Conversation
Without curiosity we would never learn to crawl, let alone walk. But as we grow we tend to abandon our innate inquisitiveness in favor of certainty. Curiosity is risky (it killed the cat, right?).
Pep Talk for Pastors
The thing is my friend, you were made for such a time as this (cf. Esther). And you have exactly what you need to pastor and preach and plan and lead, right now.
What Do You Need to Unlearn?
When you unlearn something, it doesn’t leave you. We transcend and include. It is a process of evolving and maturing. It is, surprise, a process of becoming.
We Are All Late Bloomers
Grief invites us to pay attention. This has been my experience. That was when I began to see this process of becoming. I don’t just mean when a person dies. I mean when by choice, or by circumstance, we accept something has ended. It has run its course. A relationship, a career, a part of our body. When we lean into letting go and soften our resistance to what must change.
What Story Do You Need to Share?
“You need to be more vulnerable. Do you know what I mean?”
Do I?! Ha! Yes, vulnerability is what I’m “certified” to teach! You’ve got to love the divine irony of the Universe. She is a comedian.
Giving Yourself Permission
We all need people in our lives that give us permission to be real. Permission to acknowledge what is good, in the midst of what is hard. Permission to acknowledge our strengths in times when we are feeling weak. One person’s permission is most important though.
Gathering with Gratitude
Holidays come with a plateful of preparations and expectations smothered in a gravy of “shoulds.” Upending regular routines brings some anxiety. To practice wholehearted living, here are five gratitude practices to get you through.
What is a Daring Way Intensive?
This past week, a few people asked me the same question about the Daring Way™ workshops I teach and facilitate: “What is an intensive? If I’ve taken one of your classes will it cover the same material?” Arianne takes your questions.
Which Work Matters?
Work gives us purpose. We want work that has meaning. As Annie Dillard wrote,”How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” That is the work that matters.
Best Boss Advice. Ever.
The 3 insights from my favorite bosses and mentors changed my life and perspective, and they can do the same for you, too.
Knit Together as Saints
Whenever I’ve attended a clergy conference, retreat, workshop, delegation, convention, you name it – there are clusters of collars, knitting. Someone in your pews needs to be reminded of an experience, a person stitched into their heart.
Build a Container
If you want to walk out of your next meeting feeling like you were an effective & productive leader, begin with these 4 key questions. Whatever your title, you will be fostering community, building relationships, and modeling the heart of a leader who cares about her people.
Becoming a Daring Way Facilitator: Part 1
The smile in that photo was a breakthrough, the day before had been filled with tears. Life is always becoming - a back and forth between tears and smiles, hellos and goodbyes, grief and joy, which in so many ways is what The Daring Way(TM) is all about.
