Ontario is officially holding in place for the next two weeks, and the news coming from places already doing so has made people twitchy here. Specters of instability, claustrophobia, boredom, and scarcity are sending ripples of fear through the collective unconscious. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Spending time in social isolation—for the …
Category: Christian Life
Watch your mouth
What’s coming out of your mouth today? Obviously, right now we’re all super into washing our hands (anyone else’s hurt?) and minding how we cough/sneeze (dabbing is cool again!), but those aren’t the only contagion vectors we should be concerned about. Think about it. When you cough or sneeze, you make a choice. Do I …
Your father is right here with you
When I was 28, I had a massive hip surgery. I’d never had a wisdom tooth pulled and was utterly terrified. The day of the procedure, I was dull and numb and the world moved in unreal slow motion. Thankfully, Mom was there. There I was, a grown woman, clinging to my mother as …
Social distancing, not spiritual distancing
It seems bleak right now, doesn’t it? Schools closed.Events cancelled.States of emergency. The news addiction is real, too. I’ve been on Facebook more in the last 24 hours than the last 24 days, watching reports—both official and anecdotal—roll in with increasing anxiety. It’s not the virus I’m concerned about. Yes, coronavirus is nasty. But people can …
Fruit whackin’
Have you noticed how when you ask God to give you more of some good character trait that you almost immediately run out of it? There’s nothing quite like praying for patience to conjure a traffic jam, for example. Ever wonder why? Personally, I always assumed it’s because if we want a new skill, we …
Wounds for grace
Ever wonder why whacking your head bleeds so much worse than, say, a papercut? (Although I’d argue the papercut hurts more. What IS that?) That’s because there are way more blood vessels in your head than your hand. Blood is a cleansing and protecting agent, and when you damage a vital spot, it bleeds more …
The fruit of the Spirit is meant to be eaten
Fruit is meant to be eaten. If you leave an apple on a tree, it’ll overripen and fall useless to the ground. If you leave it on the counter, it’ll decompose and stink up the place. If you don’t use it, it’s ruined. But for that apple to be useful, it has to change state. …
What rest looks like
I just got back from a week in sunny Florida, my first solo travel in 6 years. I showed up with a backpack and no plan aside from thawing out. As I kept telling people, I was just happy to be there. This trip was a much-needed time of rest for me, a fermata of …
Praise when you want to blame
Who do you blame when life goes sideways? If we’re feeling vindictive, we blame other people. If we’re feeling humble, we blame ourselves. And if we’re feeling exceptionally spiritual, we blame the enemy. #nottodaysatan am I right? But not so fast. Take a look at the Book of Job, where Satan is horrible to a blameless …
Body-positive alternatives to fasting
You ever get triggered on someone else’s behalf? That’s me writing about fasting. I suffered with disordered eating for 20 years. It wasn’t until coming to Christ that I saw any lasting recovery, and while there’s still a ways to go, I’m grateful that God has healed my particular brand of crazy to the point …
What are you really hungry for?
If you’re fasting this month, you’re probably super hungry today. And every day. And it’s probably messing with your daily life. Like, I can’t be the only one who happened to be walking through Walmart at the exact time they bake the chocolate chip cookies and literally RAN AWAY. Just me? Dang. ANYWAY. What I’m …