The Blog
supporting your beautiful, meaningful life
Presenting Your True Self to the World
During a recent church service, the pastor read Romans 12:1-2. It's a common passage. I've likely read it hundreds if not thousands of times in my lifetime. I've heard it discussed in dozens of sermons. But never before have I seen the secret to being my authentic,...
read moreWhen God Smiles
As with many areas in life, I find myself ebbing and flowing in my sense of acceptance before the Lord. This may sound strange to you. If our standing before God in Christ is secure, and it is, why should my feelings on the subject change? I have my theories. Whispers...
read moreMy 2017 Finished Books List
Since my first encounter with Laura Ingalls Wilder somewhere around age 6, I have always been an avid reader. I've never made a list of books to read or set a reading goal, however, until last year. Inspired by Jon Acuff's posts on what books he had been reading, I...
read moreMy Word for 2018: Authentic
For a few years now I've noticed others choosing a single word or phrase for the new year. This is meant as a resolution of sorts. Instead of making goals to reach, they choose a word to live by. I considered this for several days leading up to the new year. On...
read moreLetting Go of Our Fig Leaves: Embracing Vulnerability in our Relationship with Jesus
Over the course of the last year, I have tackled the project of developing a companion study guide to my book Forgetting the Fairy Tale. In doing so, I’ve come back to the discussion of having a relationship with Jesus and what that means in daily life. In summary,...
read moreLove Has Come
In celebration of Christmas and the soon-to-be-released Forgetting the Fairy Tale Companion Guide, I thought I would offer a sample. I hope the reminder sets a peaceful tone for your upcoming celebrations. Merry Christmas! Session 7: To Have and To Hold & Love Has...
read moreThe Parable of the Penny Floor (and pictures of my new office)
If you don't care about my awkward attempt at humorously telling my penny floor story and just want tips on doing your own, skip to the headings after the pictures. There once was a young, bordering on middle-aged, writer who dreamed of having an office—her very own...
read moreSuffering and Scar Tissue: A Biblical Response to Emotional and Physical Pain
A year of firsts has come and gone. Mother's Day. Then the first birthday. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's came next. February brought the first anniversary of when we were told Mom had stage IV gall bladder cancer. April 28th the first anniversary of her...
read moreAre You In It To END IT?
Today is Shine a Light on Slavery Day, established and promoted by the End It Movement. (You can read my first post on its inception in 2013 by clicking here.) As explained on enditmovement.com, END IT is a Coalition of the leading organizations in the world in the...
read moreThe Broken Way: Thoughts on Being Broken and a Book Review
I've been thinking a lot lately about brokenness. If you read my last post, you may have a sense of what I mean by that. Grief does many things to different people, but for me, the one word that best describes how I feel most of the time is broken. I'm not myself. I...
read moreMy Own Little Oil Pot Miracle
A few months ago I was asked to volunteer for Passion 2017, a conference for 18-25 year olds who want to draw closer to Jesus. Since my first, life-changing encounter with the Passion movement in 2012, I have wanted to take part in this event. I was thrilled God...
read moreThe Amen in Advent
Advent. We've all been there. Not just waiting for Christmas. Waiting for the husband, the doctor, the child. Waiting for the job offer, the acceptance letter, the validation that who you are is enough. We look to the future with expectant hope, willing God's plan to...
read more