I met Gaye Lindfors at The Refine Conference in September 2012. What a fun person! We had our vendor tables situated next to one another there so we had a great opportunity to connect. I also had the privilege to hear her breakout session on The Good, The Bad and The You’ve Got to be Kidding Me! which was fabulous and gave me wonderful insights. I particularly liked her idea to step back when I’m feeling hurt, anxious or tired and “put a frame around the situation.” I loved her humor, honesty and integrity and simple ideas. If your church or event or retreat needs a speaker, you…
Read MoreA BlessBack From the Past
Gretchen Havlicek (pictured above in the striped shirt) works at Faith Point Lutheran in New Prague, Minnesota. She contacted me late in October 2012 to tell me about an out-of-the-blue BlessBack she received. She’s agreed to share it on the BlessBack blog. I hope you enjoy reading her story as much as I did. Julie A BlessBack From the Past by Gretchen Havlicek I noticed that I had a voice message left for me on my phone at the church where I am employed. The timer said it had come in at 10:30 pm on Friday night. “How odd for…
Read MoreTime, effort, consistency
I have been a member for 21 years at Hope Presbyterian Church in Richfield, Minnesota. October is National Clergy Appreciation Month and marks 10 years that Pastor David Lenz has pastored our church. I can’t think of a better way to say thanks to him than to share his words with you about a recent trip he took to Lake Superior. May you be blessed by his words, as I have for the past decade. Thanks, Pastor, for always giving us God’s best. For those of you who would like some great suggestions of ways to thank your pastor, click…
Read More10 ways to thrive when being bullied
Were you or your children bullied by peers? Today I’m guest-posting at Keeping it Personal with 10 Ways To Thrive When Being Bullied where I share some ideas that helped me cope as I was going through the teenage years. Each month I am a guest on Teri Johnson’s Keeping it Personal blog. I met Teri in the summer of 2012 through a friend of mine, Barbara Marshak. Teri is the founder and owner of The Refine Conference, a 2-day conference aimed to allow women to “come as you are, take your next steps with purpose.” Teri also leads MasterMind classes,…
Read MoreBrainstorming Ways to Say Thanks
Today Michelle Lim, author of the new non-fiction book, Idea Sparking: How to Brainstorm Conflict in Your Novel, is guest-posting on the BlessBack blog. She is also a romantic suspense author whose manuscripts have earned recognition in The Rattler Contest 2012, the Genesis Contest 2011, and the Frasier Contest in 2010. Michelle is the Brainstorm/Huddle Coach at My Book Therapy, an online book-coaching business. I reconnected with Michelle in July 2012 at a writing conference in Duluth where she facilitated our time together. I found her twists and schemes inspiring. Her depth of knowledge of how the brain works makes me think…
Read MoreA full circle of gratitude
Today I am privileged to feature a guest blog post by radio personality Gloria Plaisted. She is the founder of Faith@Work Break, a 60-second radio broadcast based out of Duluth, Minnesota. Feel free to stop by and “like” her Facebook Fan page at Faith@Work Break with Gloria Plaisted. Gloria’s story is featured in BlessBack®: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life and is a favorite among readers. Gloria’s story begins at chapter five. If you haven’t read the story, I urge you to download a copy of BlessBack at Amazon for $2.99 to your Kindle or download it to your Kindle Reader to…
Read MoreA Norwegian Delicacy
If you like Norwegian sandbakkels, grandmas, Chippewa Falls or the Rumble Bridge, you might want to visit Joy Dekok’s website, where I’m guest-post blogging today. 🙂
Read MoreHelp Wanted: Kathy Brunner’s BlessBack
Whenever I hear of a wonderful BlessBack story, I will feature it on this blog. Today’s guest blog is written by author Kathy Brunner, who I met on LinkedIn. She has written a touching tribute to a woman who cared for her children. Kathy is offering readers who comment on this post a chance to win a free paperback version of her new release, Finding Your Fire: Get Fired Up, Not Burned Out!, a book that helps you to take your dream, idea, inspiration and make it into a reality. Leave a comment at the bottom of this post of someone who reminds…
Read MoreA surprise book review from PsyWeb.com
Every once in awhile a surprise comes along that knocks your socks off. This week I learned that Wendy Burnett, a freelance writer I do not know, got ahold of BlessBack and reviewed it for PsyWeb.com, an online depression and mental health resource. PsyWeb.com states it is one of “the world’s largest sites dedicated to depression and mental health. Our goal is to bring people together around the issues of addictions by providing concise, up-to-date information and a meeting place for patients, their friends and families, and professionals who offer pathways to recovery.” The book review is one of those that comes along…
Read MoreShelley Hitz’s “21 Days of Gratitude Challenge”: Gift This Book to You and Others
Book Review 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Finding Freedom from Self-Pity and a Negative Attitude by Shelley Hitz “ . . .take simple steps of intentional gratitude . . .and watch and see what God does.” Shelley Hitz, from 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge Shelley Hitz’s new book, 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Finding Freedom from Self-Pity and a Negative Attitude uses the idea that if people practice a habit for 21 days, they can create a new pattern of thinking and living. Hitz chose to implement this strategy in her own life after a season of loss and…
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