• Website Warming Party: Scavenger Hunt & Giveaway!

    I’m so excited to welcome you to our new website here at KristenHogrefeParnell.com. You may have noticed the site received a facelift over the holidays, and I’m glad to officially welcome the new year with a new website, designed with you in mind. For fun, let’s do a scavenger hunt with a giveaway prize to help you get acquainted with the new site! Just fill out a short survey to be entered in a drawing. I’m giving away one paperback copy of William Danforth’s book, I Dare You.* I Dare You is a short classic that challenges and inspires us to be our best in every area of life. Just…

  • 4 Ways to Love God with Gusto (Part 1 of 2)

    One of my favorite books is called I Dare You by William Danforth, and in it, he challenges his readers to live what he calls “the four-square life.” Following Jesus’ example in Luke 2:52, he dares us to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. And Jesus increased in wisdom (mentally) and stature (physically), and in favor with God (spiritually) and men (socially). (NKJV, parenthesis added) The other day, I was reading Mark 12:30 and realized that we are not only to grow in those key areas of our lives, but we’re also supposed to love God with four related areas. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all…

  • 2 Realities of Reaching Worthy Goals

    I’m convinced that anything worthwhile involves sacrifice. To reach a great goal, you have to give up good things. Take sleep, for example. For the last two Saturdays, when many people enjoyed the chance to catch some extra Zs, I set my alarm early to go for a long run. Granted, I enjoyed the morning with some amazing running partners, but I had to sacrifice sleep, embrace sweat, and push through fatigue (and dewy cobwebs along the trail). But I’ll never be ready for my half marathon in November if I don’t. As I type those words, I laugh, because not many years ago, I couldn’t even run a mile.…