She waited up for me…and I found her asleep on my pillow, still and quiet, sleeping next to daddy. Her, my last one. My baby of 5, and she had been wanting me. And I know this won’t always be… I scoop her up and walk to her room, and I pause there at the maroon chair–this […]
In Case You Haven’t Realized the Magnificence of a Mother’s Love {A Mother’s Day Thank You}
Sometimes you don’t realize the magnificence of your mother’s love until you become one. Sometimes you overlook her intentions, minimize her concerns, and disregard her approach because you think you’ve “got this”. And I am guilty as charged. As a daughter, I complained about the food she made, neglected her concerns, looked down upon her […]
For When You Don’t Fit in and You’re Not Feeling Accepted :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 5}
I was never very popular growing up. I know it’s hard to believe after seeing that fantastic 1989 hair and silver metal belt in the picture above, but I can assure you it was totally “in” back then and not at all responsible for my lack of popularity. Not that I was the total nerd of the class, but let’s just […]
For When We Need to Slow Down Time to See the Beauty
I sleep with the window open because the cool breeze is irresistible. The days have been beautiful here, not too cold or too hot, and it’s been a wonderful spring to enjoy. And I’ve woken up every morning this past week to a symphony of birds singing–chirping and tweeting and talking to each other. And while they’re […]
For When You Dare to Risk Enough to Be Real
Are you daring enough to be real? Are you willing to tell a friend the raw truth because you believe they’ll be better because of it? Because you can see beyond the conflict of the now? Are you willing to risk being hurt in order to gain relationship? Are you willing to open up? To […]
What Community Can Look Like, (in)RL
Every human heart longs for connection… to be heard and understood, to feel wanted and valued, to learn from another and give in return, And I know it’s true for me. And while that longing can be met amidst intermittent interactions and online connections, there’s nothing like lingering in real life… Nothing like taking the […]
For When Memorizing is Intimidating and Change is a Challenge :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 4}
I have always been intimidated by scripture memory. For whatever reason it seemed too difficult to accomplish–too lofty a goal. Don’t get me wrong, I could memorize a verse here or there, and growing up, I did. But as far as large passages, forget it! I had just never really tried. But there is something to be said for […]
When You’re in Need of a Book to Change Your Life
I want to write a book someday. And if there’s one thing I know about becoming an author, whatever I write needs to matter—it needs to be capable of changing a life. And there are many books that have done that for me–books that left me changed. Books that have a message that stays with me long […]
For When Community Feels Too Risky and You Feel Rejected :: (in)RL Starts TODAY!!
I can’t wait for tomorrow night. I can’t wait to experience community. I’m hosting an (in)RL meet-up and I invited 78 in-real-life friends too, and I’m choosing joy and excitement because 6 said YES! And I won’t lie, I’m a bit disappointed. I wish more wanted to come be with me in community, especially those […]
When You Long to Be Satisfied and Supremely Happy :: Sermon on the Mount {Week 3}
I love to eat, and most of all I love dessert. And I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’ve had a temporary addiction to Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt lately, which is dangerous to both my waistline and my wallet. I think about eating Pinkberry hours before I do, and just imagining that sweet frozen swirl of goodness, with the […]
