I had the extraordinary privilege of taking a course on conflict mediation; it was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. The course was taught at a Quaker community center and followed a very specific curriculum to teach peacemaking. After the class ended, I went on to use what they taught me to help people make peace amidst…

Years ago, my former boss gave me an assignment to create a performance management system. Two of us collaborated on the project, and we decided to see how other companies had set up their systems. We took a field trip to local organization that had just implemented a new system; they were honest with us and shared that their first…

As a small child, my daughter learned a variety of bad words, and one of them was related to ‘yielding.’ One day, at three years old she came home quoting her father…”$#!%* drivers!”   Apparently her dad was expressing his frustrations with the yield sign on the local highway bypass. While this kind of ‘yielding’ had a more immediate and negative…

On New Year’s Eve weekend I wasn’t actively crafting my resolution. My husband had gone off on a fire call (he volunteers at our local fire department), and my daughter and I were surfing the channels for a movie to watch. We came across Won’t You Be My Neighbor a documentary about (Mister) Fred Rogers. In one of the clips…

Pete is a diabetic in his mid-40s with Down syndrome, and he makes the very best food choices with little to no support. Although he knows what to do, Pete’s blood sugar requires careful attention; he needs insulin injections on a frequent and unpredictable basis.  Because of this, Pete is supported at one of our day programs, but he really…

Around this time every year my maternal grandmother—Gran, would put up her manger; and every year, we’d take the little rubber baby Jesus and hide him somewhere nearby. We had learned from my paternal grandmother that the baby could only be put in the manger on Christmas day. Each year Gran would chase us around trying to get the baby…

Years ago I traveled all around the Ukraine in a small group—visiting programs, hospitals, and institutions for people with disabilities. Throughout my travels I met some of the happiest people in world in some of the most depressing environments; and I was continuously stuck by the many warm welcomes and ceremonies involved. At each location we were greeted with a…

Last year, the Lutheran faith celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation; it was a reminder to us all —that we need to be “always reforming;” always looking for new ways to see the world; and always pursuing our calling in life. We are intentional about living out the Reformation through our mission at KenCrest; and I’m happy to report…

At KenCrest, we strive to help our communities do their best by exploring possibilities, mobilizing our resources, and empowering dreams. To do so, we need to be ever mindful of the personal biases that may deter us from making that happen. Recently a colleague mentioned that one of the folks in a group home was ‘up in years’ now, and…