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About Petra Martin

Petra Martin is the creator of the Mixed Emotions card deck, a tool that helps people put their feelings into words, and then use that information to make decisions, resolve conflicts, and solve problems. Petra also owns the Whidbey Island Writer's Refuge, a place where those who create can get away and focus on their work.

Judgment day

Posted on December 23, 2011

When I was in the fourth grade, my younger brother, sister, and I responded to an altar call at the Bible Baptist church in Rantoul, Illinois. Now, it wasn’t like we weren’t Christians before. Mom had been raised a Methodist … Continue reading →

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The Lighthouse

Posted on December 16, 2011

Men in boats about to capsize, look to my light with longing. Envy my firm footing. Do not know whether they should hold on to their wrecked ships or swim to shore. They assume I’ve always been here, safe and … Continue reading →

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The fortress

Posted on November 30, 2011

The day I walked through the doors of Gifford Grade School at the beginning of third grade, I entered my sixth school. By then, my father’s career in the military had taken my family from: McChord Air Force Base in … Continue reading →

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Destiny, boys, and men

Posted on October 16, 2011

How I failed to meet my Destiny As I was washing dishes in my teens one day, I looked out the window and “saw” a joyful little girl on a swing, her pigtails flying behind her. Perhaps, I thought, this … Continue reading →

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Life, and how we move through it

Posted on May 5, 2011

As I walked through the forest on my son’s birthday yesterday, I reflected on how challenging life has been since the moment, 12 years ago, when he was born. At the same time, I’ve grown weary of thinking about how … Continue reading →

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A prayer to Phoebe

Posted on March 20, 2011

Dear Phoebe, I have never witnessed greater pain than I did at your funeral on Friday. I felt it in my body. There were times when I could hardly breathe. And Phoebe, I barely knew you. How much worse must … Continue reading →

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Damsels, distress, and ethics

Posted on January 6, 2011

Like any young damsel in distress, I always dreamed that a knight on a white horse would rescue me someday. Didn’t matter what the distress was. Maybe it was my night to do dishes. Maybe I forgot to do my … Continue reading →

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Truth, and where to find it

Posted on January 3, 2011

I was raised a fundamentalist Christian, and the Bible was our sole source of truth. It was considered inerrant, which means, in essence, that God dictated every word of it, and that it was perfect in every way. It doesn’t … Continue reading →

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The New Year’s theme

Posted on January 1, 2011

This year, I’m taking the advice of author Steve Shapiro and establishing a theme for the year instead of list of resolutions. Steve is the author of Goal-Free Living and estimates that only 8 percent of Americans achieve their resolutions. … Continue reading →

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