C.G.Koens's Blog, page 12

Coming Into Focus

Most dreams don’t start out as clear goals. They beginas hazy ideas, far out in the distance, surrounded by a host of other contenders for your time and attention. If you don’t clear the clutter, you’ll remain bogged down by daily routine and never find the focus you need to pursue something bigger.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a book, travel the world, work from home, or start your own company. When those dreams begin, the magnitude of them can derailyour focus onthe details – I speak...

Savoring the Moment

Two years ago we were seated in a posh restaurant, preparing to enjoy the most exquisite dessert - some kind of chocolate ball that the waiter poured hot fudge sauce over, melting the top to reveal the raspberry cream within... amazing, to say the least.

As the man placed the plate in front of me, he paused with the hot sauce poised over the top of it as my two dining companions and I stared at him. One second, two seconds, three seconds (this was starting to get awkward, what was he waiting f...

When You’re {Not} Enough

The harshest critic in my world lives inside of my own head.While my husband, friends, co-workers, and clientstell me that I have much to offer, my inner-critic tells me that I don’t have enough experience or talent to pull it off. I brush off their belief in me as “rose-colored” support, because my critic and I know the truth.

As an introvert,I’m not charismatic enough to sell the idea; because I live in a small community, I don’t have the right connections to get where I want to go; and sin...

Clutter, Stewardship, and The "One Touch" Rule

There's a part of my personality that absolutely abhors clutter - in all it's various forms. Curious thing though, had you walked into our home two months ago (or into our basement for any of the 15 years we've lived in this house), you might have wondered if that side of me had gone into long-term hibernation.

During the days of waiting on adoption paperwork and country decisions, there's not much that these two recovering-INTJs can control. We'd filled out the forms (in triplicate), made cop...

Do The Next Thing

I recentlyfound myself with time on my hands (something that’s becoming increasingly rare), and a new book on my nightstand. The timing of it was perfect, and I consumed Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy.

If you haven’t read it – you should.
If you haven’t ordered it – you should.
If you haven’t reserved it at your local library – you should.

If you’re tired of waiting for life to slow down so you can make a plan, then you definitely need to read this book! Although most of i...

It's Not Time To Celebrate Yet

Last week I talked about taking the next step. I talked about how it was time to get out of your holding pattern and land those dreams, moving forward into the doing stage before you find yourself regretting the years of not taking action.

I don't know what that next step looks like for you (though I'd love for you to tweet me with #NextStep so I can cheer you on!), but for me it looked like a long list of partially started projects and filed-for-later dreams. In order to do the next thing, I...

You Cannot Plan for Everything

It's Good Friday. And oh my friends, how GOOD it is! This morning I flipped to John 17 and read through Christ's prayer for Himself, His disciples, and then for us - and found myself moved to tears. That Jesus, the Son of God, would pray for me - knowing He had me in mind when He said, 

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be...

Do The Next Thing

Last weekend I found myself with time on my hands (something I'm sure I won't have as much of once we pick up our 5 kids this summer!), and a brand new book on my nightstand. The timing of it was perfect, and I consumed Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy.


If you haven't read it - you should.
If you haven't ordered it - you should.
If you haven't reserved it at your local library - you should.

If you're tired of waiting for life to slow down so you can make a plan, then you definit...

The Social Reaction to Tragedy

A SIGN OF THE TIMES.Whether you’re a social account manager for a company or you run your own social accounts for business, as the world continues to grow smaller through our online engagement,it also brings to light new conundrums. We can no longer bury our heads in the proverbial sand and assume that tragedies will not occur, nor can we ignore those that do. Each morning that I’m online, I become aware of some new atrocity that has taken place while I slept.

What should your social media re...

#AnsweringJihad: It Begins with Love

If I am totally honest with myself, as an American, it's easy for me to get swept up by the anti-Muslim sentiments that fill up my social news feeds after events like Boston or Paris or San Bernardino. But when I am close to being swept up in the rush of closed doors, personal arsenals, and anger, I work hard to remember that before I am an American, I am a Christian.

I know that Christ does not desire that any should perish, and I know that I am not given any wiggle room to hate anyone or des...