The Bucket List: Fill, Empty, and Repeat

Posted on May 2, 2022 by Lisa Hoffman

I’ve always believed in goals, dreams, and bucket lists. But that doesn’t mean that they are easy for me.

Back in college, I spent the summer of 1985 in Washington DC at a church Youth Leadership Training Conference. Everyone worked full-time and attended activities and training in the evenings and on weekends.

During one of the first trainings, we were encouraged to have daily “quiet time” when we were supposed to read the Bible and pray. One of the goals of this activity was to gain clarity on our life goals.

Unfortunately, God did not reach his gaze down and bestow this wisdom upon me.

I knew that I wanted to finish my degree, get married, and have 13 children. This sounded pretty godly and was approved–as long as I looked to and depended upon my future husband as my head and leader.

Yeah. Right. Continue reading →

New Year…a Commitment to Change

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Lisa Hoffman

I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions. As a teacher, I’ve always considered the school year the beginning and ending of life, with the summer as a buffer zone.

Starting the 1973-74 school year with high hopes

Every August, I would sit down and think about the ways I wanted the upcoming school year to go. I yearly focused on having one family meal each week, another year, I organized my dinner plans in a rotating schedule…Monday–pasta, Tuesday–tacos…I usually worked to organize my brain around making my home and family life sane. While working as a full-time teacher with three kids, life was full…busy…chaotic. Continue reading →

To Do or Not To Do (A New Years Resolution Story)

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Michelle Schneider

Me – Then

Me – Now

Every year I plan out New Years resolutions to follow and every year, like so many others, I fail to follow my plan after about 2 weeks. I don’t know what it is or why that happens, but it’s like clockwork. Continue reading →

Midlife MasterClass–Trailer

Posted on November 23, 2021 by Lisa Hoffman

You will be able to tune into the podcast beginning January 2022.

I’m starting a podcast called “Midlife MasterClass”.

A couple of weeks ago I asked for help in choosing between two podcast covers. One cover was a bold graphic design and the other was more personal with a picture of me. The overwhelming choice was the more personal picture. Thank you to everyone who commented and messaged me with encouragement.

Now I’m on to phase 2…the trailer for my podcast. Continue reading →

Faith

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Sandy Rettschlag

Where do you do church?

How should a church look?

These seem to be two very controversial questions lately. Especially after COVID, where we have all been confined to our homes, apartments, (or wherever we might have the fortune or misfortune to find ourselves)…spiritual practice rules are up for debate. Continue reading →

One Little Resolution

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Lisa Hoffman

The family was at the cottage and the tv was on a local station. Five celebrities were looking back over the past year, they played a snippet of last year’s show…resolutions for the upcoming 2014 year. Did our famous group achieve their goals? (meditation, fitness, weight loss, meatless Thursdays, and book reading)? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Although the book reader didn’t even remember her goal until it was shown on playback, ALL achieved their resolution for 2014. The secret? Well, I believe it is in the missing s. Did you notice the title Resolution(s). Well, the achievable number of “New Year Resolutions” is exactly ONE.