I’m No Superstar

I’m No Superstar is a blog for people like me who want to make a difference in the world but know they aren’t activists. Each post contains a social action idea that most of us could do, a book that’s worth reading, or a link to a website that offers other ideas. Oh, and it’s all introduced by a sometimes quirky story from my life.

We’ll leave the light on for ya

Do you have favorite commercials that contain a line you still utter years later?  For Les and me, one of those commercials was for Motel 6 and ended with the sentence,“I’m Tom Bodett for Motel 6, and we’ll leave the light on for ya.”  Maybe this commercial resonates with us because we stayed in a

End 2020 by digging a little deeper

This year has been exceptionally hard for everyone—individuals, families, businesses, organizations and nonprofits. It’s almost over. We’re collectively holding our breaths, hoping (but also scared to hope) that 2021 will ease up. Experts who study charitable giving have been surprised at how generous people were in the first nine months of 2020, even with all

6 Ways to Bravely Rock 2020

What if I . . . We start to dream of something we might try, and then we pull back as the doubts and fears flood our minds. But as the experts say, “100% of the things you don’t try, won’t happen.” To move forward, to achieve our dreams and goals, takes bravery. And I’m

My 2020 Word

I was driving the other day, and the word “peace” just popped into my head. Almost immediately it expanded to the phrase “an instrument of peace.” I hadn’t thought of the poem below from St. Francis of Assisi in years, but suddenly there it was in my head. Well, only the first three lines were

Success, Anonymous Disciples and “Unvisited Tombs”

I was talking to a friend the other day about the concept of success and how it’s pushed on us. It happens in networking groups. It comes up in self-help reading, business or personal. It shows up in our newsfeed amid the quote blocks and sponsored seminars. And it even shows up at ministry conferences.

Reprise: “No.” Is a Complete Sentence

Yesterday I spoke to the Wilmington, Delaware, chapter of the networking group Polka Dot Powerhouse. (Yes, I know, hard name for a non-girly-girl like me to handle, but a great organization.) I talked on “Finding Your PACE: The Secret to Long-Term Success.” During the Q&A at the end, I mentioned this concept. I decided to

What a Game Taught Me about My Mission

One of my guilty pleasures is playing Mahjong Journey solitaire on my cell phone. The solitaire version of Mahjong (which is nothing like the original Chinese game) requires players to match open tiles (those with no tile abutting them—either on the left or on the right) to eliminate tiles. In many versions the object is

Sometimes You Need to Know Where You Are to Get Where You’re Going

A couple of years ago, Les and I were all set to enjoy a long-awaited date day. We headed to the King of Prussia area where we would shop a favorite Barnes & Noble, eat lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, and explore the Container Store, Crate and Barrel, and any store that struck our my

All Saints—Living Our Unity

A few weeks back I won a pair of tickets to see the All Saints movie. Based on a true story, the movie tells the story of a soon-to-close church that is saved by an influx of refugees. I hope you had the chance to see it while it was in a theater near you

 

Have Carol Speak For Your Group

An accomplished and flexible speaker, Carol tailors her topics to fit the theme and timeframes of your meeting, conference, seminar or retreat.