Female in Motion

I admit it. I am a worrier. But I'm reformed. Ask The Hubster. I used to drive him crazy with all my "what ifs," constantly wondering about the next bill, the next holiday, the next appliance to break down. Sadder than anything was, I thought all women were like that. At least all the women I knew. Growing up, I worried about getting homework done on time, if a cute boy would ask me out, where I would go to college and what I would major in. Although I did pray about the big stuff, I didn't want to "bother" God with the mundane details of my life. So I worried them myself. After I married and had kids, I had lots more things to worry about. Some of these things I could take care of, but most were above my pay-grade. So I would pray about an issue and then instead of turning it over to God completely, I would take it back to worry over it some more. Kind of like carrying around a backpack full of boulders. Intellectually, I knew that worrying was getting me n...

Thanksgiving is upon us! What am I thankful for this year? I am grateful to God for my chaotic life (that I love!), for my health, my family, the best Hubster in the world, a fun job and most of all...for the vision that God has given me to pursue writing as a ministry and not just a fun pastime. Most of all, I want to remember to always be grateful for the abundant blessings I have to enjoy. *** At the monthly Kansas Writers Association meeting on Saturday, the guest speaker was renowned travel writer (and native Kansan) Rolf Potts. Author of two books, "Vagabonding" and "Marco Polo Didn't Go There," Rolf travels the world and contributes to such publications as National Geographic Traveler, New York Times Magazine, National Public Radio and the Travel Channel. He has walked across Israel, driven a Land Rover from California to Argentina and recently returned from a trip that encompassed 20 countries, six weeks and no luggage! Look up his next adventure at: www...

The University of Missouri College of Engineering Scholarship Banquet was held last Thursday night. Around southern Kansas, that's not a very exciting event, but to me, it's definitely not-to-be-missed. You see, after my father passed away, my sister, Laura, suggested that our family honor him by starting a scholarship at his alma mater. My dad attended MU-Columbia in the 1950's after returning from serving in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict. Every fall, members of my family travel to Columbia to meet our latest scholarship recipient and honor my father's memory. This year, my sister, Laura, myself and my mother traveled to be there. We got a couple of rooms at a hotel on campus and made a "girls night out" out of it. We had a lot of fun talking and looking around the campus together. Our latest student, Jacob Miller, Liberty, MO, was so cool! He's a freshman mechanical engineering student, with two sisters already in college, so you know he and h...

Well, folks, I am bushed! Last weekend, I attended the Women of Faith Conference in Kansas City with my mom. We boarded a bus on Thursday evening, joined by a bunch of church ladies from the Wichita area. Let me tell you, we were a rowdy crowd. Anybody who says Christians don't know how to have fun is misinformed. Conference speakers included Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, Lisa Harper, Karen James and Kim Cash Tate. A very special guest speaker (not a woman!) was Marcus Buckingham, the world's leading authority on finding your strengths. The theme this year was "Imagine." Encouraging the eight thousand attendees to dream big, this team spoke on finding your strengths and gifts, trusting God to lead and paying attention to God's Word and will for your life. We heard compelling life stories, too, and lots of great music. Natalie Grant, Mary Mary and the Women of Faith Worship Team provided lots of fun songs to sing along. As if two days of women, worship and fun weren...

As I sat outside on the back steps this morning, my first thought was, "Dang, it's cold!" I had just finished getting fresh water for the outside cats. The Hubster and I call the stray cats that hang around our neighborhood "outside" cats. There are five mostly feral felines feeding at our home twice daily. Not an easy task...to say or do. Two of these cats, Simon and Lady Cat, are friendly and will sit with me and let me pet them. The other three, Scotchie, Dino and Missy, not so much. They run away when I open the kitchen door. After dark, when the temperatures fall, these kitties sit on the steps and look into the door at my warm home and "inside" cats. They accept the kindness of the full food and water dishes every day, and they have come to expect this to be a daily occurrence. They return day after day, year after year. We have never shown any aggression or violence toward them, but they still don't trust us. And they don't want to come ...