Moving hundreds of miles away from a lifelong home and extended family while also watching her nest begin to empty as children move away could put any woman close to the edge of many things that do not feel all that divine. That is, unless you’re Grammy-winning artist of Christian contemporary music and author Sandi Patty. “Sometimes we can be on edge and ready to pack it all in, but that could just be the beginning of something great,” Patty says. She learned this life lesson from a rejection from her dream job at Disney’s Magic Kingdom years ago, which...

A woman I know confided to me recently that she can’t bond with one of her grandchildren. This woman is so full of personality and warmth and smarts that she is loved and admired by people of all ages, sizes, and walks of life. This wise woman, who openly welcomes into her home people of all ages, sizes and with every imaginable quality or fault, can’t break through a barrier that’s keeping her from openly loving a child. The grandchild is a study in 5-year-old beauty among several grandchildren, all adorable. Good genes gave her long, curly hair framing a...

I want to thank her. Actually, that’s why I became a fan of the page-by-the-same-name on Facebook. Because I want to thank her. I admit I really don’t know much about you, Lady. I know your face on a magazine cover, hear your songs as sung by my own teenage daughters. Truthfully, this isn’t about you. You see, my theory is that only the best mothers, the most equipped to deal, are blessed with the Lady Gagas and a long list of other headline-grabbing, shock-rockers who I won’t put into the same category with law-breakers, terrorists and investment bankers. But...

Of all the heart wrenching emotions I felt while first watching a movie about Anne Frank last week, the feeling that has stayed with me the longest is the deep loss of potential. She wanted to be a writer. She wanted to be a great writer. You could argue that she did, indeed, achieve that dream. With the foresight and wisdom of those who saved and published her writings, her words, her thoughts, her impressions of life reached the masses. Her diary has been published in 60 languages and makes several lists of the top books of the 20th century....

My friend Kathy has a task list a mile long, all keyed into a spreadsheet that she reviews at least daily. Going to work, however, isn’t anywhere on the list. She was laid off last fall. Yet, she sees more people, learns more things, and does more new stuff in one day than anyone I know. Simply because she just says “yes.” Like that Snow Patrol song, she just says yes to every invitation, every opportunity. Everything that’s happening, she’s there. If I want to meet her for lunch, better book early. It’s part of her very effective job-search strategy....