On February 12, 2021, as I watched the on-going Senate Impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, our 45th President, play out, I could only think of contrast in leadership styles from Abraham Lincoln, 16th President, who was born on this day. Today, April 14, is the perfect day to reflect on the life…
An IOKDS core value is collaboration. Perhaps never before has collaboration been required more than it is now as we turn the calendar pages one full year on the coronavirus pandemic. We are all worn out from it and by it. But our other foundational values of compassionate caring and faith tug at our heartstrings…
Professor Ferdinand Porsche had a hypothetical choice: 1) Keep all of the products and facilities that Porsche had, and replace all of the Porsche staff; or 2) Keep all of the Porsche people, but replace all of the equipment. “Of course, I would choose people,” he replied. Our organization is fortunate to have two long-term…
As an interdenominational, Christian organization in North America, we are a community of faith and hope called to live together serving others of all ages and circumstances. Prayer and devotions are foundational to our membership community and friends. For those following our blogs since January 21, 2021, you noticed a special program, 40 Days of…
By Dianne Foglesong, Communications Director We call Middle School children “tweens” until they become High School teenagers. During this past pandemic year, many of us may feel like “in-betweeners.” Time has us waiting between what happened and what happens next. As an adult, you know your time and days are not a renewable resource, and…
By Dianne Foglesong, Communications Director In 1976, during the commemoration of the United States bicentennial of the country’s founding, Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s organization, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, called and celebrated January as Black History Month. Born to previously enslaved parents, Woodson grew up amidst poverty and oppression…
The birth of Christ shatters fear and infuses hope for all Christian believers. As the Christmas Carol lyrics suggest, we need to “repeat the sounding joy” throughout January days. With the power of intention for joy and hope, we are entering a phase in the pandemic that calls for continued responsible decisions and behavior by…
How many Christian nonprofit organizations are there in the USA? GuideStar.org offers a comprehensive list of nonprofit organizations and charities and lists 84,706 charities within the Christian religion category. One finds 135 listings for IOKDS Circles and Branches interspersed with listings for the International Order of Rainbow Girls and Watching Over Our Daughters & Sons…
In this day of constant digital connectivity, I still enjoy receiving Christmas cards by snail mail. Every year I receive cards from a group of repeating friends, and every year I receive some unexpected cards as well. This year, I already received a card from a mystery “Sarah.” As I re-read the note in the…
Lessons Learned from the September Virtual Leadership Retreat With the COVID pandemic, Boards and groups of all kinds began replacing in-person meetings with virtual Zoom meetings. Even a fledgling, bare-bones group can use it. All that is needed is an internet connection, audio from a computer speaker or smartphone, and a webcam integrated into your…
In March, the 2020 US Census Bureau released educational attainment data showing that 36.3% of American adults 25 years and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher. This fall nationwide in America, freshmen enrollment plummeted 16% for four-year colleges and 23% for community colleges. (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center) In October 2020, the Canadian government…
Mental Health America (MHA) is proud to recognize November as National Family Caregivers Month – a time to celebrate caregivers’ contributions, provide them with tools that they need, and continue to advocate for individuals with mental illness. There are over 60 million Americans who are unpaid caregivers to family, friends and neighbors, according to a…
For many of us, COVID will split our lives into two segments: before and after the pandemic. If we think about our lives before the pandemic, we feel a loss of varying magnitude from the heartbreaking loss of life to everyday normal routine loss. Fifteen years ago, I was a volunteer nurse at two different…
Autumn brings changes in color and temperature for me in the Midwest. It also brings about menu and activity changes under normal circumstances that I enjoy including picking apples and making pies. My grandchildren are talking about their Halloween costumes hoping there are choices other than a Spiderman mask. If allowed to trick or treat,…
For five weeks this summer, I had the privilege of supervising the work of two IOKDS Learn & Discern interns virtually. Seeing my role as a facilitator of learning for both our organization and the interns, I assisted the interns in focusing their time and effort on projects that help our organization move forward with…