ORDER I wish life would go in the order we want it to. I realize — with the Five Minute Friday site being one populated primarily by people of faith — that much of the sentiment of anyone reading this is that there is a divine power that knows what order things are supposed to […]
Strong is a river, not a boulder
STRONG I read an article for work last week that featured a woman who found herself responsible for a large group of people at a young age. She felt like she was missing some quality she needed to have in order to lead them well. Lacking insight about what it was that she was missing, […]
How to make an effective fundraising video
If you’ve decided to create and promote a video message for a cause you care about, consider taking the next step besides turning the camera on and saying, “go live.” I participated in the Church World Service (CWS) Ration Challenge in 2019 and 2021. The Ration Challenge involves eating the same rations as a Syrian […]
A place for kids to sleep, a beer legacy and streets in Budapest — Top June SmartBrief stories
2021 is halfway over. We all find ourselves in a different world than the one we had in January 2021. I’m grateful for hugs, get-togethers and the reopening of live theatre. I’m not so grateful for having to put makeup on again, some of the social challenges that come with small talk and mingling, and […]
Escaping what’s in our heads
QUIET Usually, when I start the timer for the five-minute exercises, I turn music on. It’s most often classical (that’s my favorite music to write to). This time, the prompt seemed to call for a different decision. I turned the music off and decided just to write in silence (does it count as silence when […]
Ration Challenge 2021: Help for refugees and a personal reset
If you want to see a bunch of adults fall in love with the five-second rule, put them on the same rations as a Syrian refugee in a Jordanian camp. via GIPHY I participated in the Church World Service Ration Challenge again this year. (I participated previously in 2019. I have intentionally not reread my […]