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Top books for 2021! (Coming in hot as you plan 2022)

Okay, so for me, reflecting on the prior year takes a bit of time and thought. I’m so thankful for each of you that ask me for this each year. I do love my reading and find that it is primarily how I connect with my creative side – generating thought, learning, and spurring me on to what life is showing me in that moment.

My count for 2021 was around 58 total books. Honestly, a few of them I struggled to get through. My mind didn’t want any “heady” reading this year. I did two re-reads (“Stillness is the Key” and “Atomic Habits”), which I recommend we all do each year. For those of you who follow the Bible, I do think it is beyond powerful to re-read all or focused parts each year. I can’t express enough how much I learn by doing this and although I’ve only done it over the last decade or so, I wish I would have done it earlier. If you ever have a goal to do that, I learned a wonderful strategy that I’d love to share if you are interested, just comment or message me. It’s been a life game changer.

So, here you go… my 2021 recap! Of course I have to have #13, since that’s my lucky number. These are in no particular order, except for #1, which is an absolute must-read book, in my opinion!

  1. Courage is Calling, Ryan Holiday

Why: These quotes capture the heart of it well: “Do you want to think about a world where Florence Nightingale did not revolutionize nursing? Because she didn’t want to piss off her parents, because she didn’t want to confront bureaucrats in charge? We cultivate courage so we can do important work that people are counting on. We can’t just be brave when it counts. It has to be something we cultivate. No athlete just expects to hit the game-winning shot- they practice it thousands of times. So, we must test ourselves. We make courage a habit.”

(Okay, so I am apparently a huge Ryan Holiday fan. He also wrote “Stillness is the Key” and “Ego is the Enemy.” The books are short and easy reads and powerful! He also has his newsletter, “Daily Stoic,” that I love, but I will say his podcast just wasn’t my thing. It always strikes me as odd when I love someone’s writing, but not their voice. Interesting fact of life!)

2. The Art of Being Unmistakable, Srinivas Rao

Why: I picked up this VERY short book from someone sharing on a podcast how this is one of the most successful/most sold self published books. It is touted as a “Pep talk for creative people,” which I think is fairly accurate, but I found it to be excellent in many areas. Here’s a quote I marked: “Books, destination, and callings tend to reveal themselves to you while you pursue them. We often do not know where stories end, where unpaved roads lead, and who we’ll become along the way. Therefore you just have to start.”

3. Brown Girls Can, Kamara White

Why: First of all, I am a friend of Kamara, otherwise known as “KK,” and I’m so proud of her for following her dreams and publishing. She has this amazing little girl and her heart is in ensuring she does all she can do to sow love, dreams and invaluable life lessons to her. This quote in this children’s book covers it best, but really the whole things is just all of the good things in life – powerful: “Do you believe that, Laila,” Mommy asked. “Yes, Mommy! I believe it because … well, because I see you,” said Laila. “That, my dear, is called a ‘role model,'” Mommy replied. “My job as your mother is to show you all the things you can be. Your job as my little girl is to become what you want to be.” “That’s pretty cool, Mommy!” said Laila.

4. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer

Why: My son Sam recommended this to me and just as he thought it might, I found it to be incredibly impactful. The chapters on technology were really good, and I blogged about this earlier in the year. I loved the simplicity in this statement: “I think it’s wise to cultivate a healthy, suspicion of technology. Technological, and even economic, progress not not necessarily equal human progress.” Folks, this is so good, I highly recommend it!

5. Outlove, Julie Rodgers

Why: This is Rodger’s first book and it followed with a film called “Pray Away.” The topic is a sensitive one for some and I feel it is so important that we all stretch ourselves to understand the people in our midst. I loved her vulnerability overall. This message was very helpful: “Things were shifting inside of me. I didn’t necessarily read new theological argument and then change my mind, beliefs aren’t formed that simply. I began to ask different questions.”

6. Healing a Shattered Soul, Mindy Corporon

Why: Mindy is a dear friend and I am so proud of her for sharing her journey with the world through her first publication recounting the tragic loss of her father and son and sharing parts of the healing process. Mindy is a world-changer and has been since day one, obedient to the calling to play an instrumental role in our nation’s overall healing in the areas of hate and misunderstandings of others.

I loved the part of the book where she talks about her vision for seeing black and white women together. “I recall the sun shining brightly and bird flitting here and there as I stopped in my tracks to contemplate how many black women I might know. Hmmm. I had never stopped to think about how many I knew, let alone how many I knew well enough to ask them to join me for this gathering. Nicole chuckled as I proudly announced that I could name eight Black women off of the top of my head who I could call or email, asking them to join us for a conversation. I felt stupid: Why had I never reached out prior to now?” (I resonate with that reaction: “I felt stupid.” Some of the most important things we need to do are literally right in front of us.).

In the next few days, Mindy would create “Respect. Engage. Appreciate. Trust, (REAT, the name of her son) to engage a diverse group of women in life changing conversation… Mindy ACTS and we are all better for it.

7. Think Again, Adam Grant

Why: Adam Grant can pretty much do no wrong in teaching in one way or another. If you don’t follow him, I have no doubt that it will be a great move for you! His latest book “Think Again” offers us all manner of thought leadership around why we need to reconsider how we process and think, including long-held stories and beliefs, including the famous story of the frog and hot water. Can you guess where that goes in this book? The title captures it best, but I loved this, “We laugh at people who still use Windows 95, yet we still cling to opinions that we formed in 1995. We listen to views that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard.” So true!

8. Deep Work, Cal Newport

Why: The subtitle here is helpful: “Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.” After reviewing the list, there seems to be a bit of a theme around distractions and anchoring. Hmmmm?

Newport dives into many areas, but I particularly loved the neurological arguments for depth. He walks through “tool selection” and proposed that knowledge workers (most of us in this century) treat our tool (software, apps, etc as examples) selection with the “same level of care as skilled workers, such as farmers. Identify the core factors that determine success and happiness in your professional and personal life. Adopt a tool ONLY if its positive impact on these factors SUBSTANTIALLY outweigh its negative impacts.” This “craftsman” approach is in opposition to the “any benefit” approach as justification for adoption.

9. Wholehearted Faith, Rachel Held Evans with Jeff Chu

Why: I have been waiting for this one, and of course it was brilliant. Rachel Held Evans left his world way too early and her writing through her young life was profound. Jeff Chu, a long time friend, pieced together what she left to publish her last book. No doubt that proceeds will greatly help her young family over the years. Evans pushes the reader on the “path from unquestioning certainty to wholehearted vulnerability.” I’ve used this a few times since I heard it in the book, and will no doubt use it for a lifetime, “I like a little bit of controlled wilderness every now and then – (A hike in the hills with my family, taken with the hope of a hot shower after a successful day out, or a brief camping trip that comes with the promise of A/C and cable TV at its conclusion. That is obviously not how the biblical or spiritual wilderness works.)”

10. My Life in Full, Indra Nooyi

Why: I LOVED THIS BOOK! If I were to have ranked the list, it would have been top 3. I don’t read a lot of autobiographies but I’m so glad I did read this. I’m not sure what called me to it, but as a top female leader of one of our nation’s largest companies (PepsiCo), it was fun and chalked full of valuable insights. My favorite takeaway was the intention she put behind design work and the creation of of the PepsiCo Design and Innovation work led by Mauro Porcini. I truly had no idea of the depth of the company, its products and its impact on our country.

Nooyi’s premier program initiative, “Performance with Purpose” outlined three key topics worth sharing, “This was my opus. We would deliver excellent performance, as was expected for PepsiCo, but would add three imperatives to our work ahead. Nourish humanity and the communities in which we live, Replenish our environment, and Cherish the people in the company.” (Isn’t that great? NOURISH…REPLENISH…CHERISH!) In my next assignment, you can be sure I’ll be using this as a fire starter.

11. Florence Nighingale, Cecil Woodham-Smith

Why: I also don’t usually read biographies, but Holiday referenced her so much, that I had to back track. I mean, I am in health care so I certainly know who she is, but goodness… I had no idea of her story. I’m so glad I took this detour and caught up. There are some notes I made to myself at the end of the book that I feel we can all use:

  • “I attribute my success to this- I never took any excuses.”
  • She worked shoulder to shoulder with her team. She was devoted to serving.
  • Look at data and then acted ( I loved the emphasis on this… so important)

12. What Happened to You, Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD

Why: My coach told me about this late this last year. It is focused on past trauma and the title conveys the message, that instead of asking “What is wrong with them” for example, we consider changing the narrative to “What happened to them.” It is a simple change up and significant. When we peer into ourselves and others, it is useful to not be critical but to come into the dialogue with curiosity.

This is the ONE BOOK I would recommend to anyone who has anyone in their life that has experienced any kind of trauma or whom has found that in their own path. It is very easy to read and strong work that will make you better for taking the time to dive in and learn about the many complexities that impact our lives.

13. A Burning in my Bones, Winn Collier (biography of Eugene Peterson)

Why: One of my aspirations for 2021 was to read all books by Eugene Peterson. (It was amazing!) It just so happened that Collier’s book also came out this year, so I just had to read it right away. Some of you may be familiar with Eugene Peterson, who authored the Message Version of the bible. It is a really nice change to read the bible in the way we may think today. I find myself often looking up a verse in his re-construct of the original version to see if it hits home in a different way and it often does. At any rate, Collier did a wonderful job of sharing with us Peterson’s life and he didn’t leave out anything that was the slightest bit sensitive, for example, sharing that the famous preacher/writer also leaned on drinking a bit too much and was very much aware of this and how he addressed it. It is always helpful to know that we are all human and see real life examples of that, especially for those we look up to. If you are a Peterson fan, grab this one for the joy of it!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: “I looked around the room and saw…” The power of cultivating friendships

I had the most amazing experience last night. My dear friend Cindie did what I think many of us dream of doing and the “some day” part of that comes into play and it doesn’t happen. She hosted a few of us for what we thought was our annual Christmas gathering (and of course, watching our KC Chiefs play), but this year she brought all kinds of magic moments. She set the most beautiful table, she put so much care and thought, planning and intention into everything from the menu to her incredible toast to our life long friendship that it left us all spinning.

She started her toast with a simple, “I looked around the room…” and she went on to note either experiences or gifts that adorned her home and her heart with memories of our friendship. That friendship started in the neighborhood when all of our kids were about kindergarten age and has been steeped and sowed over lake trips, soccer sidelines, pool gatherings, birthday parties, holidays, graduations and now weddings. There has been so many changes for all of us over the last 20 years, moves, new jobs, heart break, love won and love lost, the passing of parents and much of the normal journeys of life.

One of my favorite pastors, Adam Hamilton, often asks us to think about who our “stretcher bearers” might be if we passed. His point is that it is helpful in life to cultivate strong friendships and to surround yourself with people that bring the best out of you and that will stay with you through “it all.” It’s powerful.

As we go into celebrating the last part of 2021 and this week, a focus on the birth of Christ, it seemed useful to me to share this story in hopes that we might all do whatever we can in this season to acknowledge, call out and love a little deeper those long lasting friendships that literally form and mold our lives. They infuse life with joy and hope and that is to me, a huge part of the Christmas message.

Here’s to wrapping up all of the good and not so good parts of the year and reaching forward with all of the love we can give this week.

Entering 2022 with a spirit of JOY

I can’t even! I am so over the moon still about the wedding earlier this month, and I can’t keep smiling. JOY.

I made a note a few weeks ago that I wanted to blog about “entering” a state of joy. It seems so powerful to me, this idea of entering… No matter what is going on in our lives, we have so much to be grateful for. So much joy literally outside our window, in the next room, or a call away. Throughout the year we get beat up a bit, start to feel weary from the activity and the noise, and we often can’t seem to pull away from that feeling. Starting in November, we circle the calendars for Thanksgiving. and somehow turn our minds toward the joy of life.

Here’s a thought: What if we entered every single day in 2022 with joy?

Sure, not every day, year or even decade brings us a wedding, a birth or some other major celebration, but EVERY SINGLE DAY there is so much good to be found. (And YES, sometimes WE HAVE TO BRING IT!)

I have often talked in the blog about the power of a pre-decision. Pretty much everything from building a healthier emotional life or staying disciplined to a physical wellness routine is dependent on if we have made a strong decision and commitment to that practice. So, I believe that we can and SHOULD call out 2022 as the YEAR OF JOY. Entering every room we walk into with the intention of finding and sharing JOY. Bringing a heart of sincere gratitude to our days… quietly starting our mornings with a renewed promise to ourselves to OWN the JOY around us.

I know it sounds a bit over the top, but goodness, after 2020 and 2021, we need an ENERGY SHIFT and that is going to take some crazy joy. Remember flash mobs a few years ago? Those impromptu singing & dance performances where people have fun? SO COOL! Let’s bring those back!

Who’s on this JOY TRAIN with me? I’d love to break down anything that’s been holding us back and doing it with each other is, well, THE BEST! TOGETHER ALWAYS MAGNIFIES.

Sending love and JOY to you all on this third week of ADVENT which just happens to be the JOY CANDLE!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Hang out in the glimmer

Isn’t this great? I was in a meeting yesterday and this was the phrase that was used. HANG OUT IN THE GLIMMER. In other words, spend a bit of time soaking up the good on this earth. Even consider spending some time really recognizing your achievements.

It’s closing in on the end of November, and one thing I know for sure is that most of us fall into what Brene Brown calls “forboding joy.” This means that we don’t let the JOY IN. “If you ask me what’s the most terrifying, difficult emotion we feel as humans,” she says, “I would say joy.”

Her work in this area has been groundbreaking. It points to a challenging conversation about vulnerability and really the spirit of the American culture in many ways, in my opinion. Depending on what generation you were born into, we generally are strivers and, from our initial experience with school, are graded and groomed to achieve. And while she acknowledges that calling joy “terrifying” may seem strange, the reality is that the fear is about the idea that the joy may be taken away. We often refer to that as, “When is the other shoe going to drop?” In her terms, “What we do in moments of joyfulness is, we try to beat vulnerability to the punch.” That is so true and so good!

Here’s the thing on this Sunday: This week is literally designated to turn our attention to a spirit of depth that brings us into the holiday season. I would say there is no better exercise that we could all do than to turn inward and identify (yep, make a list) all that is good, all that has sparked your happiness this year, ALL that you and those you love have achieved, big or small. After all, it is in the small steps that we achieve big things. Every last bit of progress toward being physically, mentally, emotionally, financially or spiritually healthy… count it ALL AS GOOD AND JOYFUL.

When you create that list, hang out in the glimmer of all that is good. Do your best to release anything that doesn’t allow you to rest there. I feel like this message my new friend gave me is profound. If we can imagine ourselves surrounded by a gentle confetti storm of good raining down on us, I think we might be one step closer to how heaven must feel.

Cheers to a truly beautiful week ahead. May you glimmer like crazy!

The power in our first waking thoughts

“For many of us, our first waking thought of the day is, ‘I didn’t get enough sleep.'”

Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

How many of us wake up and think, “I’m still tired, I better stay here a bit longer,” or “I can work out later,” or “I have a big day, and need the energy so I’ll just hit snooze again.?”

I’m totally in that group. Those who study human behavior call this “scarcity” thinking, as in, we aren’t waking up with a focus first on the positive but with a notion of lack. Alternative would be: “I am healthy. I am so blessed to wake up and have a purpose.”

You get the picture. I am TOTALLY feeling this one.

In the book I quoted from above, the “not enough” thinking seems to saturate us early and often. Not enough exercise, work, money, power, time off, weekends, etc. “Before we even sit up in bed, we’re inadequate, behind…already lacking something.” We end the same way, thinking about what we didn’t get to. Ugh! Why do we do that? According to Brene, “We each have the choice in ANY SETTING to step back and let go of the mindset of scarcity. Once we let go of scarcity, we discover the surprising truth of sufficiency…a knowing that there IS ENOUGH, and THAT WE ARE ENOUGH.”

We should all pay attention to our thoughts. Our ultimate goal is toward “abundant” thinking. Focusing on abundance directs us to think through the good in each situation. Our first thoughts set the course for the day, and can propel us forward or leave us in bed while the world keeps moving. We are far more incredible than we ever give ourselves credit for. We are powerful and strong and even on those days when we feel we cannot be enough, THAT EVEN WILL BE ENOUGH!

I hope that this resonates with you. We should start our days with some bravado and a touch of momentum –– badassery, if you will. We are all gifted and able to bring forth a positive movement for this very day. My prayer is that God will work on our minds and allow us to be all we are intended to be.

Rewind! This is an adapted throwback post that just really spoke to me right now. I hope it does the same for you!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Paths paved by faith

Our human thinking is often so limiting. We question God and wonder where He is in all of “this.” Whatever “this” is in the moment. Do you ever stop and think maybe God is taking you on this path for a reason? Maybe you think you want something, and maybe God wants you to have something better. Something that might exceed our greatest desires. Steven Furtick’s message this time a few years ago was incredible. Here was my takeaway at the time:

“Faith cannot rest in God fulfilling OUR agenda.” If we “zoom out,” there may be a purpose that is greater and a plan that is bigger than we can even conjure up in our simple minds.

I am believing this today my friends. I often find myself in a place of wondering. It is a familiar and well-worn path in my mind, to question where God is taking me. Despite being under some great teachers in my life, I get dragged in by my own reasoning. I am grateful today that God’s logic is not even close to mine and that His ways are greater. I am counting on better paths and in God’s great design to exceed my wildest dreams.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: I need you to know…

I thought a lot this week about both the beauty and fragility of life. With so much whirling around us, we could miss the extravagant world. As you go into your week, I wanted to leave you with a few thoughts that I hope remind you of who God says we are… It’s helpful to hear that we aren’t defined by our status, personality, possessions, habits or opinions of ourselves or others. Focusing our mind on truth is always a good idea. So, let’s fire up a short list.

I need you to know…

That you have everything you need to fulfill your purpose. (Col 2:10)

That you are forgiven for all of your mindless and even your intentional mistakes. Good to know, because I sure do make a mess sometimes and need this one! (1 John 2:12)

That you are the light of this world. Each of us are charged to bring forward the good and brighten the path for those around us. I LOVE THIS ONE! (Matt 5:14)

That you are MORE than a conqueror… fully equipped to to deal with what this life hands to you. ALSO.. AMAZING! (Romans 8:37)

That you are created for GOOD WORKS… Let’s BRING ON THE GOOD TOGETHER! (Ephesians 2:10)

That you are guarded by God’s Peace… WOW, this one is so essential… Anyone else? (Philippians 4:7)

My friends, there is SO MUCH MORE… you are blessed, protected, accepted, healed, surrounded by God’s mercy, never alone, sufficient, STRONG, joyful, and absolutely WONDERFULLY MADE!

It’s a hard world out there some days and weeks and even years. Yet, we are so much more than we often call to mind. You are also covered in prayer and I am hoping that you have the most incredible week ahead.

Insights on courage: Powerful learnings from Florence Nightingale

“I attribute my success to this: I never gave or took excuses.”

– Florence Nightingale

These words are timeless. Accountability is one of Nightingale’s key principles, both for herself and for those she was working alongside to solve the important problems of her time. Here are the others I felt were incredible and worth sharing today:

According to Florence Nightingale, a biography from Cecil Woodham-Smith, SHE…

  • Worked shoulder to shoulder with the team, jumped right in and was eager to help in what seemed like any way, and under any conditions. Her attitude and selfless spirit made the difference!
  • Used her influence to drive critical change. She came from a wealthy family, but she overcame their resistance of her chosen career, then used her network to achieve success.
  • Used real data and questioned it… In doing so, she was able to use this to amplify her message and make decisions.

Her timely reference by Ryan Holiday (see Sunday’s blog) on the topic of courage was a stand out. As a health care leader, I was aware of Ms. Nightingale but hadn’t studied her life. I hope you might find this as helpful as I did. These are powerful reminders to all of us that serving and leaving a legacy of worth requires courage and doing things in a way that is often challenged. (Can you imagine that a woman was actually able to make such and impact at this time in history?) It sometimes doesn’t feel good and often feels like a very uncomfortable hike up a rocky mountain or hillside. I feel that the lessons above give us practical advice for building courage.

Some questions to leave you with on this insight:

  • Is there an opportunity in any part of your world to be more accountable? Are you accepting excuses from yourself or others that are relying on you to be strong and courageous?
  • Is your spirit one that is focused on the team? Are you willing to be uncomfortable to get important work done? (When was the last time you were uncomfortable WITH your team solving big problems?)
  • What is important to you? Have you used your influence, resources or gifts to the best you can to help solve the small and big challenges we face? If not, what can you do today to move in that direction?
  • Are you seeking data and quality information when you are addressing an area that is important to you? Have you asked good questions and been rigorous about ensuring that you have reviewed not just good, but trustworthy information? How can you move past headlines to the root of the issues?

I hope that you will have a WONDERFUL wrap to this week and that you will always find the courage (It’s okay to borrow it from time to time) to do whatever it is that sets your soul on fire.

Called to write again: Imagining the impact we might have

Happy Wednesday, everyone! My last post on June 9* shared that I was in construction/remodel mode, which is true in almost every aspect of my life. The remodel at home is 90+% complete and the other parts of my life are clearly on their own time table. Those who have been a student of life for more than a few decades, know that we are always in some type of “updating” as we navigate the journey God has for us, and that, my friends, is by grand design and that is absolutely wonderful to know and live out. However, we must acknowledge that the path is not always well laid out and often is full of debris and weathered. (And thank God for the times that the same path is clearly marked, smooth and even sunny with birds chirping as we stroll by.)

Let’s chat about that for a moment. We all seem to hear over and over again that the last 19 months have been unprecedented. The reality it, we don’t know the full extent and impact of this to our wellbeing quite yet. We actually have no real way to know if or when this will return to the way of life we knew prior to March of 2020.

Adam Grant wrote a great piece in the New York Times, identifying the feeling as “languishing.” The term is defined by not really making progress, stagnating and watching what is happening, almost as if you are an outsider looking in at your life. If you dig a bit deeper, you will also find that languishing can mean the “absence of mental health,” and is synonymous with “sinking, weakening or wilting.” Humans were created with a mind for forward progress and momentum, so this feeling takes us off our center.

The Bible (my go-to) is clear that we are to be productive and to contribute, so when we get stalled, this feeling is real and supported. Everyone I know seems to have this deep knowing that something is not quite right, and the idea of “languishing” resonates some days.

So, how should we think about this reality we find ourselves in? What options do have to not just endure them, but to make an impact and the best kind of forward progress? I’m not an expert of course, but a midwestern lady that happens to have a passion for learning and also for loving people, so I’ll give it my best shot today.

Here’s what I think God wants me to share: Humans may have been created for forward movement, but above that we are called to honor. My life verse is Romans 12:10, “Outdo one another in showing honor…be affectionate to your brethren and love one another; be preferring and honoring of one another…” It’s the most clarifying thought to me, regardless of where we are in the pandemic or our construction process. No matter what, we are given truly wonderful guidance to honor, to love and to serve each other. (Side note: Keep your eyes and heart open for
who God lays on your heart. It might be someone unexpected.)

So, what if today we all just focus on that? What would happen if we all brought forward our full selves in not just a spirit of honor for each other, but in faith in action? My friend Joey, is my mentor on this topic. Where can your actions support your faith and your desire to honor, love and serve? Who needs a bit of your joy today? Imagine the impact that would have?

Thank you again for following this writing. I am trying to up my prayer game, so I am committing to you today that I am doubling down on prayer for each of you and cheering you on wherever life finds you today!

Quick closing note: I mentioned in my post from June that I want to do things differently, and that’s still in the works. If you or someone you know is interested in helping with design or in getting a newsletter format off the ground, please let me know!

Under construction: Currently in design mode

So thankful today for the many readers who have reached out to ask if I’m still writing. Why YES, I am! I should have posted something to let the group know that I am “remodeling” the writing model.

I started writing the blog initially in May of 2015. Six years have flown by. I initially started 3 days a week and then went to 2 with less than a handful of short breaks. It has been an incredible adventure. So many of you have provided such wonderful insights and encouragement to me along the way. I often have someone tell me they share this weekly with their entire team, which brings me incredible joy. It’s often the posts I worry didn’t resonate where I have someone reach out to me with a heartfelt thank you as it somehow met them at an important time on their journey. That’s the whole reason I feel God led me to do this and continues to lead my ideation and content creation.

Over that time, we have posted more than 750 blogs, tens of thousands of email newsletters opened, and too many emails and comments to list, but the engagement is appreciated and so helpful to everyone reading. The power is in us not feeling alone as we navigate the complexities of life.

The next version will be a bit different but same goal! 

In preparation for that, I would love for you to go to To Serve Well and sign up to become an email subscriber. Google analytics gives us great data, but we really need those with emails to sign up formally. As I prepare to publish my book, the industry uses email subscribers versus Facebook, Instagram or Twitter followers as their “true” followers guidelines. The goal is to reach more people in hopes of providing words that uplift us all and give us thoughtful questions to consider as we strive to serve the best in our homes, communities and workplace.

One more thing… These are always intended to be super brief, because we all know time is precious. Feeding our minds with what is good and helpful is critical. All said, I know many have converted to listening to short video format on podcasts or other mediums. If you are one of those please let me know. I am in the “design” mode and definitely thinking through a short-form podcast, but want it to truly be in the spirit of this blog. (Think a one-minute read or listen.) Let us know! Ashley, (my superstar editor and publisher) and I would love nothing more than to meet you where you are in reducing the noise to only the work that actually helps achieve our purpose in life.

Thank you so very much! Still praying for you all daily, still cheering you all on! I hope to be back up around back-to-school time!