I was talking to my husband when Lana—our sweet, innocent girl—ran up to us, yelling, “Mom, look! I wrote my name all by myself!” Then she shoved this picture in my hands, and we both made a valiant (yet unsuccessful) attempt to not completely lose it.
Continue reading “The Hallways of Heaven”
Personally, I prefer mine cold instead of room temperature, with crushed ice instead of big cubes, and I like it in a glass instead of a bottle. However, after finishing a run or a challenging workout, nothing tastes better than water. And if you hand me a room temperature bottle of water with no ice, I will accept it gratefully, because I need it.
The truth is I need water to survive, but sometimes I forget just how much I need it and I start to get picky about how I want it.
And I want to talk about how easy it is to do the same thing with God. To get so comfortable in our lives and in our walk that we start choosing how we want Him, when we want Him, and how much of Him we want. We still need Him, but we stop recognizing our need for Him.
Continue reading “Does Your Soul Thirst?”
If you are a Christian girl or woman who is struggling—or has struggled—with guilt, shame, identity, or addiction, then this letter was written specifically for you. I believe that testimonies break chains. Scripture says we defeat the enemy by the blood of the lamb and the power of our testimony (Revelation 12:11). So, I pray that my testimony can be an encouragement and a blessing. If nothing else, know that regardless of the nature of your struggle, you are not alone and shame is a chain that doesn’t belong on your shoulders.
Continue reading “An Open (Honest) Letter to Christian Girls”
“I just have a pause in my spirit.”
I can’t count how many times I have said these words—in reference to making a commitment, engaging in a relationship, receiving from a sermon, or even just discussing a specific topic.
And I’ll admit when I felt that pause, I got in the habit of just saying no, avoiding the person, ignoring the message, or shutting down the conversation. Then I would go about my merry way, patting myself on the back for being “discerning.” After all, Ephesians 5:10 exhorts us to, “discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
But in the recent (humbling) year, I’ve learned that discernment is not just recognizing the pause; it’s learning what to do with the pause. It’s taking the time to ask Holy Spirit why the pause is there.
Continue reading “Discernment: Power in the Pause”
A boat doesn’t sink because of the stormy waters around it, but because of the water that gets inside. It’s not about what’s around you. It’s about what’s within you.
Over the past month, I’ve had a lot of emotions trying to take root in my heart. Hurt. Anger. Bitterness. Frustration. Sadness. All of those emotions began fueling what felt like a hurricane in my soul. A raging storm that wanted to drown me in hopelessness. But a few months ago, the Lord asked me to draw a line in the sand and refuse to ever call any situation, person, or relationship hopeless when speaking to the God of Hope.
So, instead of giving in to the storm, I began feeding my peace.
Continue reading “Peace. Be Still.”
Grace Waves 