Anger is not the real problem

I just love it when my fellow colleagues offer their thoughts on this blog.  I get to work with some of the neatest people I know who have some of the most brilliant ideas…today Maryann H. Friesen shares some of her experience and story with us. This past year I had the privilege of doing …

Hopes for Parenting in a Fast Moving World Part 1

(alternate working title: How to Slow Down and Stop Being a Jerk) From time to time I almost have myself convinced that I’m all grown up. On those occasions, I’m doing grown-up type things like voting for a prime minister, having difficult conversations with my boss**, or re-re-reading the bedtime stories my son prefers (rather than …

Carolyn’s Shoebox Legacy

And now…we take a break from the regular blog posts and send out a “message in a bottle” sort of blog.  About 132 children will receive a shoebox from Samaritan’s Purse this year with a letter that has this link to it. We don’t know where they will be from–it could be anywhere in the …

Peacemaking

Peacemaking as a lifestyle can serve to “pay it forward” to those men and women who served our country to preserve our freedom and to work towards peace. The idea that we honor those that have fought for our peace by actively supporting peace We honor those that have fought for democracy by voting and …

An Open Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, I’m no political wizard, so I have no political advice or wisdom to give you. Nada. Zip.  As a Canadian, however, I care about this country…and I care for it’s leaders. You are head of this very large collective family of Canada, and so I wanted to share a few things …

“I’m proud of you”

I had a smile on my face the other day remembering the conversation: A friend of mine met me for lunch… John and his wife are good friends of mine…maybe 5 years or so younger than I am.  Good people. Solid. He has Junior Tribe Members the same age as I do, and our kids …

Comforting Power of a Parent

So,  parenting is hard, eh?  Brutal. Some days, you gotta wonder if all your efforts matter.  If you matter. Some days, we as parents mess up, screw up, yell too much, micro manage, over-parent, under-parent, can’t-play-dressy-up-even-one-more-time, or use the screen as a babysitter in an all together unsatisfying way. But we always got something our …