RESOURCES from 4word
The Spiritual Side of Mentoring
One of 4word’s passion areas is mentoring. It’s one of the great ways we support women in the workplace as they seek to honor God, honor their families, and excel in the place where God has called them to work. We don’t often talk about the spiritual and… Read More
3 Steps to “Get the Ball” in the New Year
With Christmas behind us (wasn't it just the Fourth of July last week?!) and New Year's approaching, it's hard not to think ahead even more. What do you want to see yourself accomplish in the New Year? Is there anything you fell short in completing this year? Did… Read More
Why You Should Be a Mentor (Yes you. Yes now.)
We talk a lot at 4word about the value and necessity of having mentors in your life, but that’s really only one half of the mentoring equation. Are you actively mentoring someone right now? If not, then now is the time to consider it. No matter where you… Read More
Winner Winner, Christmas Dinner
I like to win. I like to be the best at whatever I'm doing. So when I see the amazingly creative, crafty, handmade, thoughtful things you do with your family and share in pictures on Facebook, I feel…well…violent. Nothing else motivates me like competition. It’s how I’m wired.… Read More
Going Back After Baby
In many Christian circles, there’s a quiet—or sometimes not-so-quiet—understanding that the best-case scenario for every family is to have a mom who stays home with her children. Those who uphold this viewpoint believe that a “good mom” should at the very least want to be a stay-at-home mom.… Read More
Join us for #GIVINGTUESDAY!
After a day of giving thanks around the table with friends and family, likely followed by a couple days of shopping frenzy and obsessive list making, we have a designated day to celebrate generosity and to give. Here are some ideas about how you can join this global… Read More
Give Stress the Boot
One of the most important (and hardest) lessons I’ve learned in life is how to deal with stress. It's something that plagues all of us at some point in our lives, but especially around the end of the year. Between holidays, meeting year-end goals at work, and making… Read More
You CAN Step Away.
When you think about being away from your workplace for an extended period of time, what runs through your mind? Excitement at the thought of "getting away" for a while? Dread at the thought of how much "back up" you'd have to deal with upon your return to… Read More
The Business of Being Married
My husband and I consider financial planning a prime date night activity. We sit close together at the kitchen table sharing our favorite take-out meal, desserts, and coffee. We pray together, then start working through the papers we each have spread out in front of us. We laugh,… Read More
What Honky Tonk Taught Me About Submission
One of my favorite things to do is take country dance lessons with my husband. I’m sure you’ve heard everything’s bigger in Texas, and Ft. Worth is home to the largest Honkytonk in the world: Billy Bob’s, so that’s where we go to learn. We aren’t very… Read More
So You Hate Your Job. Now What?
You hate your job. I’ve been there. When I first took the job, I thought I was accepting my dream position, but I was wrong. It didn’t take me long to realize that the hard-charging company culture was not at all family friendly. Things went from bad to… Read More
What to Consider Before Freelancing
Freelancing. It’s an industry shift rapidly becoming a driving force in the business world. According to The Wall Street Journal, one in every three U.S. workers is a freelancer and by 2020, 40% of Americans will be freelancers, according to Business Insider. Why are so many professionals leaving the stability and… Read More
No Flirting at the Water Cooler
What’s the big deal about flirting at work? When men and women working together in close quarters day in and day out, we expect some flirting to happen, and many people consider it “harmless.” Others openly advocate in favor of flirting to get what you want. But flirting… Read More
Be the Bigger (Wo)Man
This woman just doesn’t like me. She laughs with other co-workers, but when I join the conversation, she instantly freezes. She shoots down my ideas in meetings and goes out of her way to avoid making eye contact. What in the world? I have no idea what’s wrong,… Read More
What You’re Doing Wrong In Meetings
Kathy came in late (again) to the weekly staff meeting. She slumped in her chair, periodically thumbing through her phone as the group worked through the usual updates. She almost didn’t notice when her boss asked her a question. She hadn’t reviewed the agenda ahead of time and… Read More
Pope Francis Sparks Discussion on Women’s Roles
Pope Francis made an inaugural and historic visit to the United States last week, meeting with President Obama and other leaders and bringing with him a whirlwind of excitement from members of the Catholic church and the public in general. As I watched news coverage of his visit,… Read More
Making Time For Friends
Are you feeling too busy for friends? For working women with countless demands on their lives, “keeping up with friends” too often gets pushed to the side. Maybe it’s because there isn’t enough time in a day, or because “friends time” feels like too much of a guilty… Read More
Generosity: The Gift That Keeps Giving
Erin Botsford, 4word board member, was recognized by Barron's magazine as a Top 100 Women Financial Advisors for 2015. Erin is Founder and CEO of Botsford Financial Group and author of The Big Retirement Risk: Running out of Money Before Your Run out of Time. Today, I asked… Read More
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
“Our hearts ache, but we always have joy," (2 Corinthians 6:10, NLT). I have never gone through anything as horrible as watching my daughter, Annie, suffer through ten months of debilitating pain. Oh, I’ve experienced suffering before…a divorce, a rebellious teenager, the loss of my parents…but this tops… Read More
It’s Time to Change the Office Culture
Does this sound familiar to you? The meeting is about to start when the committee chairman catches your eye, and you realize that you’re the only woman in the room, and you know what’s coming next: “Diane, would you mind taking notes for the meeting today?” What do… Read More