I was voted Most Conservative by my high school senior class. My staunchly Republican grandfather assumed this was a commentary on my political views, and he’d never been so proud. While I was indeed an outspoken Republican, the “Most Conservative” nomination likely had more to do with my aversion to swearing, alcohol, and hallway make-out sessions than my… Continue Reading
“If God has kept you in the dark at the moment, it may be because you have to go through a winter season so that the spring when it comes will find those new plants well rooted and well bedded in.” ~ N. T. Wright Continue Reading
“I know that God wants me to live a joyful life, so why is it so hard to access that joy?” The question was raised during a community group meeting several weeks ago, and before I knew what I was saying, my response had slipped from my mouth: “I think it might be because we… Continue Reading
“You are God’s workmanship.” It’s a phrase (lifted from Ephesians 2) that’s been running through my head in recent weeks, a lifeline that has been carrying me through days when I feel less than—less than good enough, less than worthy enough, less than I was made to be. I’ve made no secret of the fact that… Continue Reading
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of hearing a woman named Lauren deliver the sermon at church. (Let’s just take a moment to celebrate the fact that women are finally making it out of the pews and into the pulpit. #abouttime) During the message, Lauren told her story of discovering that she was… Continue Reading
Several weeks ago, I had a conversation with my therapist about the topic of rest. I was bemoaning the fact that rest and relaxation have become nonexistent in my life. It’s true that I’m a mom to a young child and that our lives are fairly busy, but to be honest, my days are much… Continue Reading
The Bible offers many names and descriptors for God, but one of my favorites is Heavenly Father. I realize that this moniker might not be appealing to everyone, particularly those whose earthly fathers were absent, abusive, or lacking in some significant way. Thankfully, my own dad was none of those things. In fact, in both… Continue Reading
Over the last several years, I’ve developed a strong affinity for books and podcasts within the the Self-Help / Self-Improvement / Personal Development genre. The category might be hard to pin down name-wise, but you know the types of books I’m referring to, right? Penned by gurus (or better yet, folks just like you and… Continue Reading
I’ve spent a majority of my life living in “stress mode.” As far back as I can remember—much further back than one should have such memories—I’ve felt perpetually stressed out. As a young child I stressed about my clothes, my friendships, my grades. The stressors shifted as I got older, but they’ve always been there,… Continue Reading
The silence should have tipped me off to the fact that something was amiss. Every parent knows that a mysteriously quiet child is sleeping, sick, or up to no good. But to be honest, I was too exhausted to notice or care. Charleston and I were less than thirty minutes into our morning, and already… Continue Reading