As we move forward on our journey toward life mission, loving ourselves is an absolutely critical foundational piece because, honestly, how can we truly love others if we aren’t loving God and ourselves? Now that we have learned the first principle of loving ourselves–recognizing and meeting our real needs–we are ready for the second: Disciplining
Author Archives: Mary Ann Johnson
Feminism pt 4: Suffrage & Birth Control
“Truth is the only safe ground to stand upon.” ~Elizabeth Cady Stanton As women in America were extended more and more opportunities for higher education, there arose a group of educated, middle class women who felt strongly about the need for women’s suffrage. For Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the right for women to vote was simple,
Mission Driven Stories: Millard Fuller
“God sometimes calls us into service at the most inopportune times. Often, we find a hundred reasons to say no…God wants our availability. He wants our hearts and minds, and lives. He wants us to say in the words of Isaiah, ‘Here am I. Send me.’” ~Millard Fuller Millard Fuller believed that success was measured
The Confidence Formula
“Confidence is something we can choose! It is something we can work on today!” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher One woman recently shared struggles that so many women are experiencing today: “Where do I start if I’m at zero? Last week you asked us to write down things we liked about ourselves and I went blank. I thought
The Seven Laws Series: Law 2, Principle 1
“Your relationship with God and yourself is the foundation of ALL your other relationships.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher As busy moms, we all have one trait in common – putting ourselves last. Be honest, you’ve done it far more often than you should have – and to the detriment of your own health and well-being. While this
Feminism pt 3: The 1700’s
“When we understand rights clearly, then we don’t need to be feminists or non-feminists. We don’t need to stand in anyone’s camp; we can stand on truth.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher As we move forward in time, and the freedom of women in the West expands, we see a new movement to extend greater educational opportunities to
Communion and Communication
“Next to the blessed sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” ~C.S. Lewis In reading The Problem of Pain, Audrey ran across a simple sentence that started her thinking along brand new lines about this thing we call “communication.” Communication is an idea that we speak about incessantly, that we
The Seven Laws Series: Law 1, Principle 3
“It is the most courageous act in this world to put God’s will first in our lives – to listen to what our conscience is asking us to do.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher There are important questions that have consumed the thinking of men and women through all the ages. Do we have free will or are we
Feminism pt. 2: Women in Medieval Times pt. 2
“If every man in history had believed that women were inferior and should never be listened to, then these women would not have had the tremendous influence they did.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Julian of Norwich wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language to be written by a woman. She challenged the notion of a
What Are You Leaning On?
“Lord, if you will show me the way, I will follow you. Amen.” ~Brother Andrew Once there was a boy who grew up poor, uneducated, with a deaf father, an ill mother and a handicapped brother. This boy’s life was full of troubles and heartaches. Yet, despite the challenges, his family deeply loved each other
Mission Driven Stories: Dorothea Dix
“No mere acquisition of knowledge was of any value in her eyes in comparison with a longing to dedicate it to the service of humanity.” ~Francis Tiffany about Dorothea Dix Dorothea Dix was remarkable! Despite being raised by a mentally ill father, deprived of a proper education, born down by the early responsibility of two
My Response to ‘The Secret’
In 2006, an unknown woman was instrumental in creating and releasing a little documentary titled “The Secret.” Its fame grew rapidly through unconventional avenues until it achieved massive worldwide impact. Now, in 2020, a sequel to this documentary is being released in movie form titled: “The Secret: Dare to Dream.” The release of the new
The Seven Laws Series: Law 1, Principle 2
“As the rest of the world grew stranger, one thing became increasingly clear.…our Bible was the center of an ever-widening circle of help and hope. Like waifs clustered around a blazing fire, we gathered about it, holding out our hearts to its warmth and light. The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and
Feminism pt. 2: Women in Medieval Times pt. 1
“It is shortsighted to say that feminism is a Biblical problem or that it is predominantly a Western problem.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher Although most women in medieval times did not have the opportunity to utilize all of their gifts and talents , some amazing women were able to rise above their status and have a positive
10 Steps to Presenting Your Principles Persuasively
“If the conversation is worth having, it’s worth doing right.” ~Audrey Rindlisbacher We LOVE principles! We know they matter and we desperately want to share them with those we love. But… sharing principles can be tricky! When wanting to share the truths we’ve learned, we might be asking ourselves: How do I know I’m right?