Walking into the Hollywood party, I knew I’d made it. I was stick-thin after months of eating air for breakfast, my open-backed designer dress fit in well with the ornamental crowd, and my Mercedes-driving boyfriend was at my side with a big smile on his face. I had taken a shot or three prior to arriving, and I was ready
Read MoreWhile looking at a nativity scene one Christmas my son took my hand and said “Mom, why was Jesus born as a baby amongst the sheep?”. It was a good question. Why did the God of the universe decide to enter this world in a vulnerable and inconspicuous way? It would not have been my choice. I would have gone for grandeur or at the very least comfort.
Read MoreThe world is a crazy place right now. Sometimes I am concerned the whole place has gone mad. Sometimes I remark how we all “just need Jesus.” With an election, a pandemic, social distancing, life changes, and everything in between, it is easy to feel lost. The world has been in an identity crisis for some time now, but it has been glaringly obvious this past year. What is even worse, I fear Christians may be in an identity crisis themselves.
Read MoreI didn’t want to be here again, but here I am. Struggling to make sense of anything. Fighting to break out of the clouds that seem to surround me, heart and mind. It is disheartening. It’s frustrating. It’s hard to accept. Sometimes, our reality doesn’t look like we want it to.
Read MoreOne year ago, we were spending our Labor Day weekend in a children's hospital. What started as a routine wellness visit with the pediatrician, turned into our tiny baby boy being admitted to the hospital for "Failure to Thrive". He was three months old at the time and, despite our efforts, his weight had begun to fall away from the growth curve. The pediatrician felt it best to have his calorie intake monitored and see if a solution to his slow and fluctuating weight gain could be found.
Read MoreI’m always up for a challenge at the gym, but my trainer introduced me to a new exercise recently that brought me to my knees…literally.
Read MoreJoy, contentment, happiness, gladness. All similar words and arguably interchangeable. But what do these words mean to you - really?
Read MoreI recently took engagement pictures with my fiancé, and the photoshoot was magical. It was this really special hour that I will treasure. Our photographer sent us some of the highlights, and I loved them — but, ugh, was that really me? Fifteen pounds heavier than I started this year, my jawline was soft, and my hips seemed ridiculously wide. I was struggling to enjoy these images because I couldn’t get past what I considered my physical failings.
Read MoreForgiveness is arguably one of the most challenging instructions that Jesus gave us to follow. Logically, we understand that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and that to be forgiven we need to be willing to forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15). It seems as if the issue is straightforward, and if we did what Jesus said, life would be peachy. Why then do so many of us, me included, find it hard to move beyond forgiveness?
Read MoreYou have to love yourself. You have one life, do this for you. These are just a few of the phrases I have recently encountered while I exercise with online trainers. I understand their job - to motivate me and everyone else listening. While I can see how this would be quite motivating and keep me cycling/running, what if these were mantras for our lives?
Read MoreWhen we say that we “know” someone, what does that mean? We usually describe that person using labels and identities. “She is a doctor, a mother, a runner.” But what happens when we change jobs, graduate college, or become injured and can no longer run?
Read MoreIn the midst of unspeakable tragedy, there begins the floodgates of memories—the beautifully painful memories of those we did not have enough time with, whose lives were cut short, but also memories to create anew. A friend’s recent Facebook post captured my attention about the cycle, brevity, and finality of life, and how quickly life can be altered. How beautifully it can be created, and how it can be violently taken away
Read MoreTo kick off this year, I thought I would do something memorable. After all there are only so many turns-of-the-decade that we get to embrace in our lives. I tend to be spontaneous on holidays, and there was a nearby mountain with a short but steep climb calling to me out of the window of my holiday accommodation. My overreaching tenacity and idealization of the moment overtook my unathletic reality and I set off, dreaming of enjoying a God’s-eye view of the world on this special morning.
Read MoreSome of my favorite books of the Bible are the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). As Christians, we are called to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27). When reading about how Jesus spoke, taught, and lived in his 33 years of life on Earth, it gives me guidance on how to attempt to mirror my own life.
Read MoreA few years ago, I had the beautiful privilege of teaching God’s Word at the local women’s shelter and gave a glimpse of my story to them hoping to encourage and strengthen their walks with Jesus. Later that night, fiercely overanalyzing everything I told them, these words became even more real: “Jesus not only saves us from our past but saves us from what we would have become.”
Read MoreI met Dionne while working for a humanitarian aid organization on an island southeast of Haiti, called Dominica, assisting with recovery after Hurricane Maria hit in September 2017. It was unlike any storm Dominica had ever encountered and the losses were immense. This storm tore the roofs off houses, the wind stripped the jungle canopy bare, and anything that wasn’t a root crop was destroyed. Landslides and flash floods damaged the island’s water and sewage systems, contaminating many water sources.
Read MoreWhen things don't go according to plan, my feelings tend to get involved. Whether it's feeling restless, lack of peace, fear, hopeless, or helpless to change the facts. Our feelings are strong and can be impossible to ignore at times.
Read MoreSeveral years ago, I purchased a new-to-me Chevy S10 truck. It certainly had come with its additional challenges in that I had to learn how to drive a standard vehicle for the first time. This experience brought back several memories of learning how to drive and spiritually taught the important lesson of going back to the very basics. Learning how to drive again taught me the benefits of raw learning— accepting correction and rebuke and not giving up after a stall….or two or twelve.
Read MoreBe honest with me for just a minute—have you had a moment (or two or eighty–three) during this pandemic with those you most love? Have you totally lost your focus, your emotions, and the tight reign you try to keep over your tongue? I have. I’ve had several of these moments, if I’m being honest, and just earlier this week I was in the throes of one such time. I have this issue that I am always working on, with having high expectations of people.
Read MorePractically, how do we go about living with God? Especially, if we are in seasons where it is easier to accept He’s not actually around. How do we live with a living God, when we still aren’t convinced He is living?
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