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.

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

This Wasn’t an Excuse to Do Nothing

Sometimes I’m really sorry Jesus said the words recorded in John 12:8 that I read in my devotional time this morning: “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” How I wish he had skipped those first eight words. All my life I’ve heard people use those first

Love Does What’s In Front of It

Today I was a substitute mom for a fourth grader. In the school where we volunteer, the students spend a large percentage of the last five or six weeks of school on their Famous PA project. They pick a famous person associated with the state of Pennsylvania—people like Dan Marino, Taylor Swift, Molly Pitcher, Milton

Books Open Up Worlds

What is the first book you remember reading? Johnny’s Cookies is the first I remember actively seeking to “read,” the first book I memorized. I continually took it out of our church library. A counting book in which Johnny gives his cookies to various people, it wasn’t profound kids’ lit; but I loved it. At

Giving Your Time to Places That Matter

This is National Volunteer Week.  Volunteering enables nonprofits and organizations to do more with fewer resources. 62.6 million people volunteered in 2015, according to latest statistics.* The average volunteer donated 52 hours a year to one or two organizations. Religious organizations received 33% of the volunteer hours, followed by educational/youth services groups (25.2%). Parents of children

5 Things Your Local School Needs

Widespread public access to knowledge, like public education, is one of the pillars of our democracy, a guarantee that we can maintain a well-informed citizenry. Scott Turow Public schools perform a vital function in our society, allowing children from any socioeconomic background the opportunity to learn basic facts and skills, to discover new interests and

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

We’ve had a cold streak here in Pennsylvania. And I hate it. I hate being cold. And so in my gratitude journal these last few days I’ve written, “heat.” I’m thankful for heat. So thankful. I’m privileged. I have a warm home in which to weather the weather. Many people don’t. Homelessness is real. In

Your Skills for God’s Mission

You hear someone is a “missionary”—what do you think they do? If you’ve been raised in the church, you probably think about preachers and teachers, doctors and nurses, and maybe teachers. If you’re familiar with Wycliffe Bible Translators, you think of linguists. And you would be right. But what are your skills? What’s your job title?

What Does It Mean to Be Compassionate?

Once upon a time I heard a powerful sermon on the story of the Good Samaritan. I was challenged by it. I couldn’t wait to blog about it. And then I didn’t. I wish I could give you a reason why. But as always, life happens. But good sermons, sermons that continue to make 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.