God’s splendor is a tale that is told.
Sabbatical (noun): from the Hebrew agricultural term “shmita,” referring to a year-long break from working the land to allow it to rest and heal in God’s care rather than man’s. I have never successfully returned from a sabbatical. Every time I’ve taken a break from writing, whether personal or self-improvement or fiction, it’s ended up …
There’s a peace that goes beyond peace. One more universal than doves and olive branches.One more profound than pre-dawn silence.One more complete than your boxed set of Friends. It’s the peace that existed in Eden,that gave Abraham his strength,that steadied Jesus in Gethsemane. Not the peace of this world, the Roman “pax.”A peace so other …
Y’all, I had an actual panic attack last night. Not normal for me. It wasn’t even about anything important—I was gaming online, doing too many new things at once, and melted down. It was bad enough that my brain crashed. That I ran from my computer and abandoned my friends. That I cried over something …
I can’t be the only one whose brain is too full. There’s just so much to think about right now. (You know—a list will just make us both anxious.) Weirdly, I feel like I have less bandwidth, time, and energy than I did before COVID despite being home more and having fewer responsibilities. My mind is …
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 …
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 …
Having faith doesn’t mean you have no doubts. Having peace doesn’t mean you have no struggle. Having Jesus means your doubts and struggles are firmly underfoot, pinned and conquered, squirming in the captivity of their submission. “With me, faith means perpetual unbeliefKept quiet like the snake ’neath Michael’s footWho stands calm just because he feels …
I walk a bit cockeyed. A weird-shaped hip socket and a couple surgeries will do that to you. I am also almost always in a hurry. Even before having a kid (which magically makes you late for everything), I rushed everywhere, trying to save time and be more efficient. I walk like I’m on a …
Do you think Mary knew? When she held her newborn son in her arms, both of them exhausted and raw, she knew he was the Son of God, but did she know he was the Savior? Did she know when she marvelled at his tiny hands and feet that one day she’d hold them when …
As we approach the big day, it’s easy to let the busyness of Christmas narrow our vision until all we can see is our own stress, our own lack, our own drama. But look up. Who around you is hurting? Who’s hungry or cold? Who’s using rent money to buy their kids gifts? Who’s lonely? …